Ordinary Days of Gensokyo
by Shadow1176
Summary: A fun little story to create different scenarios and such, involving all manners of humor, action, and even romance on occasion. Chapter 11: An old story essay. Chapter 12: A look into the world of puppets.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This piece of fiction is devoted solely to random ideas and oneshots of the world of Gensokyo. Also, I think I may have been half asleep when I wrote this. Please enjoy. Cookies to whomever recognizes the scenario. Hint: It's a parallel universe.

"If you were able to clone yourself, would you make out with yourself?"

"What?"

The question, posed to Reimu Hakurei and sent by Marisa Kirisame, had been met with confusion from the former.

Marisa enunciated, "I said, if you were able to clone-"

"Yes yes, I got what you said, but why would you ask a silly question like that?" Reimu responded, suspicion and dread creeping up as to why Marisa was asking something so strange.

Scratching her head sheepishly, Marisa answered embarrassed, "Ehehehe... Nitori sent over a new invention that you could use to create a perfect clone with just a lock of the person's hair... And-"

The door slams open as a cheerful voice calls out, "Marisa-Chan, I'm home!"

Reimu walks into the room while looking at an embarrassed Marisa and shocked Reimu, as she yells upon seeing her counterpart, "Why hello dear!"

The second Reimu skips over to the original, still in shock, as she hugs her before giving a kiss on the cheek.

Blushing profusely, the original Reimu pushes the second away while yelling, "Marisa, what the hell did you do!?"

Still blushing in embarrassment, Marisa responds, "I needed someone to test it out on, and we could always use another Incident resolver, right? Besides, I don't think two Spark masters would be good for Gensokyo's health, da ze~"

With her face in her right hand, Reimu turned to the clone of hers and asked, "What should I call you?"

The second Reimu brightened up and responded enthusiastically, "Just call me Reima!"

As the girl attempted to hug Reimu once again, in a sign of affection, with Reimu holding the girl back with a hand, Marisa laughed and shed a tear before saying, "Did I mention that she loves you for some reason?"

Reimu froze in shock, and turned in a whirlwind of anger to Marisa, before yelling, "Why you little no good-"

The rest of her words were cut off as Reima kissed her counterpart deeply and passionately, even as Reimu protested weakly, as she melted into the kiss.

Marisa rolled around on the ground laughing, before stumbling to the door in a fit of giggles as she closed the door on a scene of the two of them passionately making out on the floor, leaving behind a question,

"I suppose the only question now is whether it's self incest or normal lovemaking, da ze~"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This suddenly came upon me while I was listening to the Yakety Sax and browsing Touhou pictures as well as their music. Please enjoy Ordinary Days of Gensokyo.

Summer had settled upon the land like a haze, covering everything in its warmth and gentle rays of light. Contrary to many summer seasons, this one was quite mild, not that the people had complained. Most everyone enjoyed the less scorching temperature, while one certain Youkai enjoyed it immensely.

Strolling through her place of residence during the Summer season, known simply as the Garden of the Sun at a leisurely pace, a female Youkai enjoyed the warmth that summer brought both herself and the flowers.

With moss green hair set to flow around her neck that ended at her shoulders, and bright crimson eyes, the woman posed a cheerful and friendly figure towards those who had seen her at this time. Her attire consisted of a light red plaid skirt, a simple white blouse, and a waistcoat of the same color and style as her skirt, with a small yellow handkerchief attached to her collar. On her feet were a pair of simple red shoes, and a small tan straw hat lay on her head, while on her back rested a pink parasol with elegant floral symbols, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

Walking about with a soft smile on her features, the woman sighed in content saying, "What a pleasant day."

The woman was known as Yuuka Kazami, the Flower Master of the Four Seasons. A migrator of Gensokyo, she went to where the seasonal flowers grew. In Summer she resided within the Garden of the Sun, during the Spring she resided within the Garden of the Flowers, and so on and so forth.

Making her way to the strawberry patch that she so lovingly cultivated, she witnessed a pair of fairies stroking the plants, and speaking to them with kind words.

The first, known as Cirno, the Fairy of Ice, had aqua colored eyes filled with confidence and hair of the same color. Her attire consisted of a cool blue ribbon, a light pink blouse, a sky blue jumper dress, and a pair of icicle toed dark blue boots. A pair of icicle shaped wings could be seen on her back, each edge long and lethal.

The second, known as Daiyousei, the Great Fairy of the Misty Lake, had short green hair with a yellow ribbon attached, and warm friendly blue eyes. Her attire consisted of a modest sky blue dress with a white trim and sleeves. A pair of pleasant golden wings could be seen on her back extended.

Still stroking the plants with care and love, Daiyousei commented with cheer in her voice, "Aren't these plants gorgeous? They've been cultivated so well."

Smelling the plants instead and inspecting their harvest, Cirno said with contentment in her own voice, "Yeah, they're really pretty. I wish we could take some of the strawberries too, they look really good..."

As Cirno remained in a conflicted sense of mind, Daiyousei lightly patted Cino on the shoulder saying, "Now now, we can't take someone's crops without asking permission."

A hand plucked a singular strawberry from behind them, as the duo jumped in shock as they looked up at the owner of the hand toss a strawberry in their mouth, savoring the taste.

Yuuka finished the strawberry and asked the duo of fairies kindly, "Would you two like some strawberries to eat?"

Cirno looked shocked at the offer, and jumped up excitedly with glee, saying, "Can we really?"

With an amused look on her face, Yuuka said, "Of course you can. Just pick a few of them delicately."

As Yuuka procured two small baskets while nibbling on another strawberry, Cirno and Daiyousei began the process of delicately picking the strawberries, as they were respectful of both the garden and nature, placing a dozen strawberries in each basket.

Picking two out for themselves to eat, the duo of fairies nibbled on their respective strawberries with happiness, savoring the sweet taste.

With a strawberry still being nibbled in her mouth, Yuuka looked curiously at Cirno's ribbon, before lifting the two parts up, making them appear as cat ears as she thought, "_Just like a nekomata."_

Daiyousei smiled happily and giggled at the sight of Cirno's shocked expression while she enjoyed her own strawberry, as the latter exclaimed, "Nyaa!"

Letting go of the ribbon, Yuuka burst out laughing, her voice clear as a bell and as wonderful as a the tinkling of a triangle. The two fairies joined her laughter, adding their own chorus of joyful, childish laughter to the mix, the three forming a wonderful tune of joy and happiness.

As the strawberries were gathered into the baskets and secured so none would fall out as they flew, the duo of fairies bid their farewells to Yuuka.

"Arigatou Kazami-San!" Daiyousei said while bowing, as the two prepared to leave.

"Yeah, thanks Yuuka!" Cirno exclaimed with gratitude in her voice, as she too bowed in thanks. Their farewells completed, the duo took off with a slight wind, a testament to their growth as powerful fairies.

As Yuuka walked off to yet another section of the Garden of the Sun, namely her Sunflower field, a slight shimmer in the distance could be seen, as a purple gap, with red eyes inside tore itself into existence, with a certain Gap Youkai and Celestial heir getting out...

* * *

Dozens of Keystones appeared from the heavens, each one streaking down like a comet before impacting into the earth with tremendous force, each boulder producing a small vibrating shift in the earth, each one felt as Yuuka hurried to the source of the commotion. At the same time, a trio of midnight black armored military trains hailing from the outside world appeared, each one crashing right into the Sunflower field's most concentrated areas of flowers, all three tearing apart massive streaks in the earth and destroying a small portion of her flowers.

As Yuuka gazed upon the scene of destruction with her eyes wide open and in utter shock, she noticed two figures grinning ear to ear in the center of the chaos.

Long blonde hair was coiled upwards into her red ribbon adorned mob cap as dark golden eyes gleamed with mirth and mischief. The woman's attire consisted of a purple Chinese style tabard with various Trigrams over a pale pink Western style dress. Her title was Yukari Yakumo, the Gap Youkai, and the Founder of Gensokyo.

At her side, the second woman had dark crimson eyes and long blue hair that extended to her mid back. Her attire consisted of an elegant white button up blouse with a red bow at the collar, a sky blue dress with a light blue bow on the back, and brown lace up styled boots, while an apron could be seen on her dress. The apron had a rainbow patterned shard link surrounding it, and a black bowler hat decorated with two peaches and aloe leaves was resting upon her head. Her title was Tenshi Hinanawi, Girl of the Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception.

As Yuuka finally registered her surroundings correctly, the duo had already begun skipping away a spring in their step, happily running along with their mischievous laughter floating away upon the wind, both of their hats having fallen off and begun floating away on the wind.

"Would you kindly come over here dearies?" Yuuka yells, as she took off full tilt towards the duo of trouble makers with her parasol out in its closed form, hungry for blood, as a sadistic smile of wonderful joy claims her face even as the duo of Gensokyo's most famous trolls respond by speeding up their escape.

For several minutes, Yuuka chased the duo through her entire garden, using several Spell Cards to unleash hundreds of Danmaku bullets that homed onto the duo, even as many of them crashed into the ground harmlessly with the agility of the escaping trolls, all three of them running through ravines, two rivers, flying over a lake, traversing a corn field, running through a massive field of vegetables, even her own mansion before finally making it to the entrance of the Garden, where Yuuka saw an opportunity and took it without hesitation.

Opening her parasol with a quick draw, Yuuka intones, "**Trinity Spark!"**

A duo of clones phased themselves into existence, as a trio of massive laser beams erupted into existence from the Yuuka's parasol, all three heading straight for the Gensokyo Trouble Duo, even as just before the beams made contact, Yukari and Tenshi turned around with a grin, and opened a gap, phasing the duo into the world of boundaries as all three sparks were dissipated upon cancellation.

With a disappointed sigh, Yuuka looked back on her garden and examined the damage inflicted by their chase and prank, sighing as she began making her way towards the destruction for repairs, as a certain scythe wielding gate guard lay smoking on the ground, nearly unconscious as her wounds healed ever so slowly, having been hit directly by one of Yuuka's Sparks.

With her eyes in swirls, Elly said dazedly as she fell into the land of dreams, "Yuuka-Sama? Is that you..?"


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sword Art Online 2, Episode 24. That's all I'll say.

The dying screams of Youkai General Antarius tore through the island, his wounds having overcome his body, death finally claiming the man who killed so many innocents.

As his body melted away into the earth, two figures could be seen next to him.

Blood matching the fresh shade of red that was her hakama running down her body, the first woman had messy brown black hair, her ribbon only barely hanging on as her downcast eyes revealed no emotion, as her deep breaths signified exhaustion. A bloody Gohei fitted with two white Shidei had been broken, its stems in half.

A modified Shrine Maiden's dress had been soaked by blood, both her own and the enemies, as behind her, thousands of Youkai bodies continued to melt into the earth, each having been slain by her own hand, as well as the one beside her.

Dark burns and blackened hands could be seen on the second woman's, even as her black witch dress showed signs of intensive damage to the inner areas, several stab wounds making their presence known with extreme bleeding. One of her eyes shone out from underneath her messy blonde hair, a single eye filled with exhaustion and hope, a bright spark within.

The remains of the Mini-Hakkero had been scattered about the area, its final Spark having been the largest Laser in history.

Limping towards the massive tree residing in the center of the island, the two women leaned against it, before looking to the sky and its bright orange shade, the sunset having begun.

Pulling out a piece of candy from one of her pockets, the first slowly chewed the sweet, strawberry flavored candy, savoring its taste while her own wounds continued to degrade.

Handing a second to the other woman, the blonde haired woman chewed on her own strawberry candy.

The smallest of smiles appeared on both of their faces, as the first commented, "We did it."

The second responded, "Yeah. We did it ze."

The two pairs of eyes, one brown and the second golden, both gleaming with triumph and joy, each of them content with their results.

"Reimu! Marisa!"

A quick glance up revealed Alice, the seven colored Puppeteer, a dear friend and ally of the two injured woman.

Her bright blonde locks whipped about in the gentle wind that was slowly dying, her baby blue eyes filled with worry and determination.

"Konichiwa, Alice!" Marisa greeted cheerfully, all of her old confidence still present.

Marching right up to the duo, Alice yelled, "Honestly, the nerve of you two! Do you have any idea how worried we've been for you?!"

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Reimu said, her stance straight, her posture perfect.

"Let me just sit down..." Marisa said, as the duo sat against the tree, their breaths deep and peaceful.

Sighing with exasperation, Alice murmured as she sat down as well, "Honestly you two... You're always making trouble, but even so, you're still our leaders."

A tear ran down Alice's cheek, until she began crying, her quiet tears streaming down her face as she whispered, "Why? Why did you two have to go so far forward in the assault..? We were almost there with you, just a few more minutes and-"

A hand clapped down on Alice's shoulder, jolting her out of her stupor, her worried blue eyes connecting with Marisa's confident golden ones.

A grin of embarrassment and determination was set on Marisa's face as she said, "Antarius was almost done with the Boundary Destroyer, and if he gained access to that power, he would have been able to even defeat Yukari, who was already running interference to buy us time. Had we waited, we would have been too late. That's why... We had to forge on."

To the side of of her, Reimu added, "Antarius has had over a thousand years to develop the spell, and his power was already too great... That's also why we faced him down alone, we didn't want any of you hurt."

"You bakas..." Alice whispered, after wiping her tears away, before putting Reimu and Marisa's hands together commenting, "Now you two look like a couple."

The trio laughed a bit, their chuckles sounding out through the area briefly before dying down.

A small wind gusted through the area, the vibrations from the flying squad overhead dropping down as they landed. The squad of eight rushed over, kneeling down in respect as Marisa said, "Huh, how did you guys get here so fast? I thought his forces were still holding you up ze..."

"Oh spare the thought book thief, did you honestly think that such rabble could h-hold us up?" Sakuya retorted, her own voice cracking slightly despite her attempts to remain stoic.

All around them, Sakuya, Flandre, Patchouli, Yukari, Yuyuko, Youmu, Sanae, and Suika kneeled, each one walking up to comfort the duo, many of them crying.

A far larger gust of wind blew through the air, as the group looked up, to see the entire population of Gensokyo flying through the air.

Thousands of humans and Youkai flew through the air, rushing to reach the island quickly as possible as Reimu said, "Heh, who ever knew that we deserved such a large pass away audience..?"

As scores of people landed on the island to pay their own respects, Marisa chuckled, "All this time, I always questioned our existence, as to why we were alive, as to why we were chosen for what we've done. But now I realize, that I don't care. I realize that no matter what life has chosen for us, that we control our own fate. We dictate the path that our lives take, and I can say that I don't regret it. We, don't regret out paths."

Reimu added her own words, "Ever since I was little, I always knew that we would be fighting for Gensokyo. That some day, and Incident would occur that would result in casualties, would result in death. But just Marisa said, we don't regret it."

Alice spoke up again, her tears flowing down as she said, "We'll see you again one day, alright? No matter where you go, no matter what happens, I'll find you, and give you the biggest scolding of your lives, got it?"

With a grin, Marisa laughed and said, "Got it mom. We'll be waiting for you guys. So we'll see you all again one day, okay?"

With the same grin, Reimu smiled and spoke, "Farewell to you all. One day, we'll all see each other again. And when I do, I'm going to beat every single one of you into the ground, got it?"

Yukari chuckled behind her fan, her eyes shining with tears as she said, "I, we'll be looking forward to that. I'll be sure to beat you, Reimu."

"We can finally end our journey... Right Reimu?" Marisa whispered, her words sounding out through the island clearly.

"Hm. Our journey can finally end Marisa, so we'll... See you all later." Reimu whispered, her eyes closing against Marisa's shoulder.

As the duo's eyes slowly closed while leaning on one another, a final thought made itself known from them,

"_Death isn't the end. So see you all later. For it is in death that we achieve peace, but in death that we cause sorrow. but before we leave... _

_We just wanted to say... _

_Arigatou, everybody..."_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: After thinking about death for a little while, this idea suddenly sprung to mind. Do note however, that there may be some mildly disturbing content here. Please enjoy.

Rain.

It was the first thing that registered in my mind, the first stimuli that made me react.

Pitter patter went the rain, its small yet steady torrent of droplets falling over the area that I had woken up in.

But there was no drowsiness, no yawning, no early morning rituals which had become commonplace to myself.

In the darkness that were my closed eyes, the rain continued to fall, as I simply lay upon the ground, resting under the cover of rain that continued to douse the area.

It was peaceful, to simply lay on the ground, enjoying the simple comforts of a light rain and no sunlight to speak of, to enjoy what little nature I could before waking up to whatever was around me, whether it be my room or a battlefield, and perhaps neither of them.

A soft rhythm of footsteps sounded into my ears, as as a voice teased, "Well then, it looks like someone likes their relaxation."

Loud, cheerful, and overly enthusiastic, I could tell that whoever the sweet voice belonged to was indeed a character befitting of all three traits, same as her voice.

My eyes fluttered open at last, to finally analyze my settings.

Massive rainclouds of grey filled the sky in numbers too great to count, as several rock formations rested among the treeline residing but a few steps away. I can hear the calming flow of a river nearby, as it soothes my mind with past memories of afternoons spent resting near rivers. A massive mountain nearby towered above us, too far to make out any details.

And on one of the nearby rocks, sat a young woman, sharpening her enormous scythe with a wispy ripple at its end, the fearsome farm tool turned weapon automatically making me realize where I was.

"I'm dead, right?" My voice moves of its own violation, before I reign in my impulses while the young woman looks cheerfully at me with a grin.

She says, "Yep! Dead as a fairy caught in a Spell Card Duel."

I slowly stand up, stretching as I do so to remove the chink in my shoulder, only to realize that it was muscle memory, as my physical body no longer functioned. Instead, my body was a wispy, ethereal form, much like the ghosts of childhood stories.

Satisfied that I still had all of my bodily functions working properly, I turn around only to see the beaming, joyful face of the woman once again, as I cocked my head in confusion.

Her hand was stuck out for a handshake as she announced, "By the way, I'm Komachi Onozuka, pleased to meet'cha!"

I shook her hand, and felt a strange sensation at the feel of her hand, warmth and cold mixing together in a blend of comfort as I pulled my hand away and glanced around once more at the surrounding area.

Much like before, rock formations lay scattered amongst the area, many of them in the flowing river that we stood next to. Upon closer inspection, the water was a wondrous black, pure in its shade and untainted by nothing else. Despite its look of water, it was surely something else entirely.

Reaching a hand out to perhaps caress the water lightly, Komachi says, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Course, since I'm not you, I can't stop you, but it's the thought that counts right?"

Her explanation left a smile on my lips as I asked while standing up, leaving the water's surface undisturbed, "Why not?"

_**Shink. Shink.**_

Continuing to sharpen her scythe, my ears thoroughly enjoying the melodic scrapes, Komachi replied, "Well, I should probably start at the beginning, but take a seat on my boat, the Titanic."

A rowboat sat snugly against the riverbed, a plain black matte finish with its own set of oars, still left inside and unused. Various knicknacks sat in the boat, ranging from whetstones to...

"_Firearms? What on earth were firearms doing in a boat?" _I thought to myself briefly.

Shaking those thoughts off, I asked before stepping in, "Don't I need to pay a toll fee? This is the Sanzu River, right?"

With wide eyes and a grin on her lips, Komachi laughed while saying, "Sharp and educated, not to mention open minded. I like you."

Bowing my head slightly, I responded, "Thank you."

With a twirl of her scythe and a short hop into her boat while still standing, she said, "Your fee's already been paid for, since I collect when you first show up. Now come on."

Stepping in with one foot, before swiftly bringing my other in while we pushed off, we began our journey down the Sanzu River...

* * *

Massive rocks jutted out of the river, as the overhead clouds remained the same as ever, gloomy and dark. A thick fog had descended over the area, neither cold nor warm in its temperature. Slick black water rushed past, both from Komachi's scythe and my rowing.

I had offered to help her out when I noticed the oars, and she happily accepted, complaining about the distances needed to traverse the entirety of the river, as I laughed, a deep, baritone chuckle that wouldn't have been out of place with military troops.

As we rowed for a bit, Komachi turned around and said, "Let's take a break."

I responded, "Sure."

Though I felt no exhaustion, and suspected that Komachi didn't either, I acquiesced to her request, locking in my oars as she sat down, letting out a sigh of relief.

She began speaking, "Thanks. Now I'm sure that you have plenty of questions, but I'll explain what's going on first."

Her hands gestured to the area around her, as she said, "First off, as you already realized, you're dead."

As she stretched a bit and let out a relaxed sigh, I couldn't help but smile and say, "Cute."

As soon as she heard me, a blush formed on her face, ears tinged red in embarrassment as she muttered, "I'm not cute..."

I laugh a bit, and once we're calm, she continues, "You died somewhere in Japan, since you showed up at the Sanzu River as opposed to one of the other places, like the River of Styx, or the Chinese Passages."

Pondering the information briefly, I asked, "Do all souls head to the same location?"

A waggle of her finger and a wink answered me as Komachi responded, "Now, now, how do you think a single judge would be able to handle so many deceased? Each region of the world is sectioned off into several different jurisdictions. For Japan, we have the Sanzu River, and I'm the ferrywoman, whereas my boss is the High Judge."

"Who is your boss?" I asked, curiosity overcoming me.

Komachi happily replied as the river gently led us on, "That'd be Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu."

A brief silence resided but for a moment, until I said, "Do you mind if I talk about my life? I feel like before I'm judged that I should at least spill my guts to someone, and you're pleasant company."

Laughter came from Komachi, who said between laughs, "Not at all! I love hearing about the lives of different people. Go ahead."

As we both settled into various positions of rest, I began my tale.

"I was born on October 30th, 1998, born into a upper middle class family, with quite the strange makeup. We had my parents, my grandmother, and 3 older sisters. Growing up in such an environment, I became slightly feminist, learning to enjoy more gentle hobbies, such as cooking and cleaning, but also of more violent ones, fighting, shooting, so on and so forth. On and on, I bonded with my family, but not in a good way..."

I took a deep breath as Komachi continued to watch me, her eyes betraying no emotions, but a kind and patient listener.

I continued.

"Our family was always different. At first I never noticed it, but we were always the odd ones out, the ones who tried to be normal but couldn't, the ones who were backwards in both thinking and morals yet pushed ourselves to be normal. My parents always drilled into us that we had to become normal, simple citizens, not wanting us to pursue dreams of greater and higher things, or more dangerous and daring lines of work. All they wanted to just go through life successfully, unwanting of us becoming more than a cog in the machine that is normality. And it was that forced ideal that caused much of my depression early on in life."

"Go on." She gently nudged, encouraging me to continue my tale.

"Throughout the childhood, I can't claim to be subject to the horrors of the world, living a rather spoiled life to be honest. I did what I could to help, always enthusiastic about helping others, something that remained in my morals even into adulthood, but ultimately failing in what my parents wanted. For them, normality was the only thing they wanted. Good grades, plenty of friends, no random or disturbing behavior, no nothing out of the ordinary. They wanted to eradicate any sense of strangeness in their children, especially me. Unfortunately... We were anything but normal. But when has that mattered in the eyes of others?"

I laughed, a maddening, yet also humor filled laugh, both painful and hilarious memories playing out in my mind's eye.

"My sisters... so good in academics, so many friends, such good work ethics and what wonderful daughters they were. They were but a public face against what happened at home. We are dysfunctional, when you take into account that our parents do nothing but argue, sisters conflict regularly over the most mundane things, how life is simply strange, incomprehensible in its nature."

"Myself... I am a terrible child. Not smart, not strong, not social, I could fulfill none of the expectations society demanded of us. Where they asked for grades, I played video games. Where they asked for horror at terrible events, I showed a calculating, analytical mind, accepting the horror with little fuss as others watched me in terror. They demanded normality, and they received insanity. For most of my childhood, my conflicting wants, my subjective desires constantly fought against one another, unrelenting in its battle for dominance in my mind. And through all of that, I continued to attempt to live life, as others wanted it. But what did I have, when I grew up? How did I live to the ripe age of 76? I brought with me into adulthood..."

A small smile, tinged with regret yet happiness could be seen on my lips, as Komachi continued to listen, her emotions never changing, her expression unfaltering.

"A naive, absolutely ruthless assassin."

I sighed, my memories playing out in my mind, too vivid were they to be forgotten so easily

"My mental state a wreck, I entered a military academy, in hops of pursuing my dream of becoming a soldier, despite the protests I recieved from my family. For 2 years I lived in the military, constantly improving myself, continuing to become stronger in hopes of pursuing my dream to reach the top of the military command. I rose through the ranks, my calculating mind able to execute missions with maximum efficiency, my natural gift for tactics allowing us to escape hazardous situations with minimal casualties, my drive to kill defeating many and inspiring others to join me. All this time, my mind was still a mess, as I engaged in the few hobbies that I still had. I was a writer, imagining fantastic worlds and creating new universes from different media, mainly anime and games.

Two years after I joined the military, World War III broke out. It was here that I reached my prime."

My eyes closed as I kept speaking.

"Previous connections and my rank as a Colonel allowed me to become something that I had dreamt about for so long, but never found realistic. To create a Private Military Company, small in size, but of the highest caliber in the world. Able to kill anyone without hesitation, to revel in war as a business, to become the shadows hired by only the best. It was here that the new wave of cybernetics had came into being, as I allowed mechanics, all of them friends to me, to modify me to the greatest extent possible. It worked, and I was a mix of organic flesh and a mechanic carapace.

For the next 50 years, I fought, recruited, and trained the greatest elite force in the world. All throughout the time, my mind continued to deteriorate, and for once, I was happy. Happy that insanity had won out against the normality of the world, that I became something other than another cog in the machine. Instead, I became both a supporting beam and a hammer, both sporting the world and destroying it. Through another 2 world wars and many conflicts, we became the shadows of the world, the boogeymen sent to kill both governments and rebels, assassins and targets, presidents and terrorist leaders. And it was those 50 years later, that I met my untimely end to two people. No... people is the wrong word. They were a demon and an angel, their power overwhelming my squad and an entire UN Army Group and thus bringing an end to the Alpha Squadron of my PMC."

I opened my eyes, to see Komachi staring at me, with wonder in her eyes, as I said, "That's everything. Even though my life was cut short, I mattered, and made my mark on history."

Komachi leaned back as she said, "You had an interesting life for sure. But you're content now? Even though your life was cut short?"

"Well..."

A bump interrupted my answer, as Komachi stood up, and with a stretch offered a hand to me while saying, "We're here. Lady Shiki's waiting for you."

As we stepped off the boat, Komachi led me inside the structure that we had entered, as the sight of a massive courtroom met my eyes.

The central area was blank, not a single object residing within, as to my front, a voice spoke out.

"Please stand in the middle, soul."

Authority rolled off the voice in droves, its power compelling me to follow its instructions as I performed them.

I looked up to meet the eyes of my judge.

Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu.

Komachi stood to the side as one of Eiki's hands rested on the Cleansed Crystal Mirror. Eiki spoke out after a moment, "You have sinned much soul. Countless lives have been taken both by your hand and word, much of your life has been spent in warfare, and your morals have become corrupted beyond belief. What say you?"

A grin appeared on my face, as I responded simply, "I accept my death. Now that I have died, I can accept whatever will happen, regardless of its outcome. Do as you will with my soul, for I shall accept whatever it that you choose."

A crease appeared in Eiki's forehead as she muttered, "So you will choose subservience then..? Very well."

The Rod of Remorse struck the table Eiki sat at, as she ordained, "[REDACTED], for the many sins that you have committed in your life, I sentence you to the Yama's Blade Program."

A jump of surprise came from Komachi as she yelped, "Lady Shiki, are you sure? Do they really look like they-"

She was interrupted, "Yes Komachi. They shall undertake the course. Explain it to them."

My head swiveled to Komachi as she sighed and said, "Wow, it sucks to be you kid. I thought that you would have been sent to Hell, but to drafted into the Yama's Blade Program... Yeesh."

I ask, "What does it entail?"

Komachi starts, trepidation in her voice, "Well, your death has been either postponed or nullified entirely, and you'll become a Yama's Blade, sent to undertake all sorts of tasks, may they be grocery shopping or killing a Youkai army. The only issue is that... nearly an exact 100% are either killed or too injured to continue. There's no quitting, and finishing it is nearly impossible..."

"Is that so..?" I say, before turning back to Eiki.

"If that is your wish, it shall be done Lady Shiki." I bow deeply, showing the utmost respect for the judge.

Her gaze unwavering and unforgiving, she replies mildly, "You'll change your tune when you begin the course."

I smile, yet speak not a word.

Eiki turns to Komachi and orders, "Komachi, bring them to the starting grounds for the program."

As we take our leave towards another door that appeared on the other side, I turn slightly and maintain my smile and say, "Perhaps, perhaps not."

The doors close behind us, as I can almost hear the judge speaking,

"Then I wish you luck, soul..."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This piece is mainly dedicated to fellow fans of Touhou from the RWBY Wiki Chat. Please enjoy.

The Forest of Magic.

A wooded area filled with immense trees that were centuries old, and normal Youkai going about their daily business.

Although not many dared to venture into the forest for fear of their lives, some brave few ventured within in search of valuables and ingredients.

And in a massive clearing near the middle, was a peculiar sight.

A simple house, as large as an Outer World two story urban building occupied the large clearing, its build seemingly inconspicuous to the outside view, with no notable features, besides the picnic table, blacksmithing station, and garden outside.

Inside however, a far different story unfolded.

The kitchen contained a dozen appliances, each powered by magic, while the furniture was of a simple mahogany, sturdy yet comfortable. Strangely enough, a rack for shoes had been placed inside, as had a welcome mat. The dining room contained cushions and even a kotatsu, a hot plate residing in the center of the table. Bedrooms in varying degrees of cleanliness lay scattered throughout the house, each belonging to a specific person. A large computer took up a small portion of the living room, which was outfitted with modern electronics such as a TV and game console.

Most curious of note however, was the armory room, where a Shadow Gate led to a room designed as a pocket dimension, utilizing an infinite space area. Weapons of all varieties resided within, ranging from blades, maces, bows, spears, to more modern equipment such as firearms, explosives, even directed energy weapons.

Most of the house was quiet, except for the kitchen, where a young girl was at a cutting board, organizing her ingredients.

Long blonde hair flowed down her back as her warm emerald eyes were furrowed in concentration, her mind occupied by thoughts of what she would make, what she would utilize in the meal, how she would prepare it, and various other related musings.

A white apron with a symbolized sun lay over a simple purple shirt and blue slacks, her attire functional yet simplistic.

Known as Terra Rose, she was a human Incident Solver, one of the few who coordinated closely with notable figures such as Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame.

"Hm, what to make?" She wondered aloud, still contemplating what to make.

In the corner of her eye, she spotted a black tendril in the wall near the front door that was quickly growing, its shape molding into that of a door. Darkness seemed to cling to its very form, black and unseeable that invoked a sense of despair, yet comforting to those that knew of what darkness truly meant.

For there cannot be light without dark, just as evil cannot exist without good.

Once it fully materialized, the Shadow Gate swung outward into itself, a black fog covering it as a figure strode through, their feet never touching the wooden floor through levitation.

Described only in how indescribable they were, their cloak only allowed others to see a glint of an eye, midnight black in its shade. Their legs, body, arms, even face were hidden, unable to be observed.

"I"m back! Anybody here?"

As a friendly voice emanated from the cloaked figure while it floated over to the coat stand, Terra responded, "Welcome back Shadow! Wagashi's outside working on a construction project, and I'm making Lunch."

As the cloak was hung up and removed from the now named Shadow and their shoes were left in the front, they said once unmasked, "Want some help?"

With the cloak off, one could see that Shadow was of a male gender and human-like at that, his dark, midnight colored eyes gleaming with apathy, yet also kindness. A black muscle shirt and black sweatpants could be seen on him, while he walked into the kitchen.

With her tongue stuck out, Terra teased, "What, so you can make a disaster of my cooking?"

Deep, baritone laughter followed the friendly jab, as Shadow responded with, "On the contrary, my cooking is excellent, unlike most men."

A quick glance around the room told him all he needed, murmuring aloud, "Egg and tomato dish, spinach, and some rice... I'll do the spinach for you."

As Shadow's hands began to cut the spinach into their readied states having switched his hands to Shadow Blades, Terra commented while slicing several tomatoes, "I remember when my older brother would walk in, and ask if I needed any help. When I told him what to do, he couldn't tell the difference from a tomato and an apple!"

As several tendrils of darkness, known as Shadow Arms extended from Shadow's body, retrieving ingredients to prepare them, he responded with, "Hah! My family was different, whereas they always asked me to help out. Mostly because they were lazy, but I digress."

Terra had begun humming a tune, her voice sweet and high, as Shadow asked, "Know where Yuki and Himmel are?

A few tomatoes were deposited into a frying pan as Terra said, "Yuki's in the Human Village hanging out with Keine Sensei, and Himmel's-"

The front door banged open as a voice called out cheerfully, "I'm back!"

A male figure, garbed in a black overcoat with silver lining stepped through the front door, leaving his boots behind as he walked in, the door closing behind him. Black hair accompanied a pair of cobalt blue eyes, his features friendly and cheerful. A simple longsword, remarkable only in how unremarkable it was rested in a sheath on his back, while a pair of black crow wings folded upon themselves upon his entry.

Known as Himmel, the half Crow half human hybrid was one of several others who lived in the house, typically busy with his work.

A trio of eggs were flipped in a pan as Shadow said, "Welcome back. Any good bounties in the Outer World?"

Himmel placed his longsword onto the weapon rack instead of the weapon deposit system which led to the armory and hanged up his black and silver overcoat, his black wings still folded.

Himmel responded, "Decent enough. Got a job from some Brits to eliminate a terrorist cell in England, good pay."

Dropping into one of the chairs at the kitchen table, Himmel asked, "Anything interesting on your end?"

Shadow reported casually, "Assassinated the President's would be assassins, and protected the White House from a coordinated terrorist strike. US is in our debt, so we can vacation there some time."

A glance over at the numerous tasks being performed by Terra and Shadow had Himmel asking, "Need some help?"

Simultaneously, Shadow and Terra yelled with panic in their voices, "No!"

Covering one of his ears, Himmel complained, "Ah jeez, what did I do?"

"You nearly burned down the house!"

* * *

_Several weeks prior..._

Himmel had just completed cooking a terrible mess of waffles on the stove which were completely burnt, and forgot to turn off the fire magic valves as he said, "Breakfast is ready!"

And as he walked outside with a smile on his face, the valves continued to feed power into the stove, terrible sounds emanating as its pressure continued to build...

* * *

_Several minutes later..._

After the rather questionable meal that Himmel had prepared was consumed, terrible as it was, Yuki's nose perked up suddenly, as she sniffed the air, saying with a hint of confusion, "Something's burning-"

A screeching yell rent the air as someone yelled out, "OH GOD THE KITCHEN IS ON FIRE!"

* * *

Himmel scratched his head embarrassed, muttering, "Eheheh..."

Terra jumped a bit, as she said, "That's right, we'll be having some guests over, and they should be-"

A mighty crash resonates from the outside, as a cheerful voice yelled out, "Hey, anybody home ze?"

Terra sighed before muttering, "That would be them."

A Shadow tendril opens the door while he says, "Welcome. Please take a seat inside, lunch will be served shortly."

Reimu and Marisa, the two guests walk through the front door after removing their shoes.

With a grin, Marisa said, "Ooh, lunch. What's on the menu chef?"

A smack to the back of the head by Reimu left Marisa rubbing the hit spot, the former scolding, "Oi, be polite."

With a bow to the residents, Reimu said, "Apologies for troubling you, arriving here unannounced."

The trio all laugh, their amusement at the scene evident as Terra says after calming down, "Oh its fine, don't worry so much Reimu. And Marisa, it's just some eggs and vegetables."

With a fist bump into the air, Marisa joyfully exclaimed, "Sweet! I'll look forward to it then ze~"

Shadow and Terra continue cooking, the sounds of frying and cutting overlapping the conversation held by the other three, whom had all taken a seat.

Marisa leaned back in her chair with her feet propped up, as she asked, "So, how's the forest been treating you guys? Gotten used to all the magic residue and miasma?"

Himmel replied, "Oh yeah, we're fine. The magic residue has been good for some of us, but the others don't mind it, since it doesn't affect us."

In the midst of cooking, Terra asked,"Where on earth did the mushrooms all come from? There's far too many varieties and quantities, even after taking into account nature's higher power content here and her behavior."

Marisa nods and says, "I grew some of those species myself, and introduced a few from other areas. Both the fast growing nature of some of them and nature's power around here cause most of the species to grow exponentially, not even counting the residue let off by my experiments ze."

As they spoke, the wall nearby almost seemed to morph inward, as five figures stepped through, landing right on the welcome mat before the gap closed behind them.

The first was known as Wagashi, who was an androgynous-appearing female, their attire being a construction worker's outfit complete with a hard hat who had taken off their shoes and was already hanging them up.

The second was a werewolf known as Yuki, her green dress shirt and jeans concealing her more animal like characteristics, as her grey combat boots were left on the welcome mat.

The third was known as Hatty Hattingmon, who was dressed far more formally, a western styled tuxedo complete with top hat and monocle adorning the third man, as he left his dress shoes by the makeshift door and walked inside.

The last two figures were both a common sight in the Human Village, Keine Kamishirasawa and Fujiwara no Mokou both stepping in, curious at Wagagshi's power of manipulating construction materials before they too stepped inside with the former saying, "Please pardon the intrusion."

Yuki greeted everybody cheerfully, showing a few sharp teeth as she exclaimed, "Yahoo, Yuki here!"

Similarly, Wagashi greeted them as well with, "Hello!"

Himmel simply called back, "Sup? Lunch is still being prepared."

Keine bowed once more as she said, "Sorry to trouble you."

With a head scratch, Mokou also bowed awkwardly and said, "Er, yeah. Sorry to intrude."

Shadow laughed a bit and reassured them, "Worry not. We made extra in anticipation."

A few moments later with the completion of the dishes, Terra goes to set the table outside quickly and efficiently with no wasted movement nor time, while Shadow uses his tendrils to throw all the dishes, still in their pots and pans into the air at once, slightly cooling them down while having them all land in plates that were already grabbed by another dozen tendrils, and sets the dishes onto the outside dining table through the already open windows, each area already perfectly set. It had become a tradition for the duo, their cooking routine having become second nature as they shared a grin.

With scrapes of chair legs and stretching by some, everyone proceeds to relocate to the outside dining table, and make their own pre meal preparations.

A gust of wind whirls through the area, as Aya Shameimaru flies in from above, her notepad and camera still out and already snapping a picture.

Aya playfully chirped, "Ayaya, is this a picnic? Why wasn't I invited?"

With an amused smile on his lips, Shadow responded, "In that case, welcome. Would you like to join us?"

A gracious smile appeared on Aya's face as she said, "It'd be my pleasure."

Aya takes a seat, and Shadow grabs one of the spare plates before handing it to her.

As everyone settled in, they all said at once, "Itadakimasu!"

Taking bites of their respective dishes, there was cheer all around as everyone conversed.

Keine commented, "What wonderful cooking!"

Mokou admitted, "Huh. This is really good."

Marisa grinned with a mouthful of tomatoes in her mouth, "Delicious ze!"

Aya also commented in wonder, "Wow, this is stupendous cooking, simple yet comforting."

Reimu ate some with a contemplative look on her face as she observed, "Interesting use of the spice arrangement and amounts. Do you always use spices in these increments for egg dishes?"

Shadow responded with good nature, "Our dishes vary, so most of the time, it changes a lot for each one, considering the numerous different dishes that we prepare."

Himmel laid back in his seat and said, "Delicious as always."

Yuki smiled and said, "Totally awesome food, woof!"

Hatty chewed his food and pondered aloud after swallowing, "I wonder if something was changed today? It seems like there's a bit more spice mixed around... But it keeps things interesting."

Wagashi murmured, "Great food, but pastries..."

Terra smiled and patted Wagashi on the head before comforting them by saying, "I'll make you some pastries later, okay?"

Shadow chuckles, his quiet tone unheard by others.

As the food was slowly finished and the sake was brought out, Aya found herself asking as her crow familiar showed signs of curiosity, "I was sort of curious... Himmel, was it?"

With a mischievous grin, Himmel replied, "Yes, my name is Himmel, why do you ask Aya?"

"Are you truly descended from a crow god from the Outer World?"

As the other conversations died down and everybody listened in, Himmel took a moment to think, before saying, "Yeah, but his name's been lost to time already. Nobody remembers who he is, even myself, but his legacy lives on in me."

Aya continued in her questioning, "How was it, living in the outside world as a Crow Tengu?"

Himmel answered, "It was alright, life wasn't painful or anything. Even though I had to live on my own to hide my wings and other crow features, I lived simply... Until I met these maggots."

A playful wink and grin accompanied himmel's teasing which had been directed towards the rest of his household, who responded with gusto.

Hatty yelled back with a drunken slur, "What did you just say about me? I'll bash ye skull in mate, swear on me mum!"

Shadow narrowed his eyes as he said, "The same to you prick."

Laughter sounds out from everyone at the banter, until Himmel speaks up again.

Himmel began, "Well, I first met Wagashi back in 2010 while in Japan, since I was her designated bodyguard for a construction job."

Wagashi rubbed the back of their head before murmuring, "That one didn't end so well, huh? We had a youkai infestation, and they chased out the other workers before we put them down..."

Himmel continued their tale, "Afterwards, we met up with Terra and Shadow, since they were a duo solving crimes when we crossed paths following the same target."

Terra asked aloud, "Who ever did get the bounty anyway?"

Shadow responded, "We split it remember?"

Himmel pointed an accusing finger at Shadow before yelling, "Objection! We defeated you though, so wouldn't we have gotten the bounty?"

A sweatdrop appeared on Wagashi's forehead as they said, "If you call losing nearly all of your blood and both of us being brought to Death's door while making them retreat only because they didn't want to have to slaughter the incoming police forces as beating them, sure."

A dejected look made itself known on Himmel's face as he sighed and muttered childishly, "No need to tell the others that..."

Shadow smiled and said amused, "I registered a threat, and responded appropriately."

Terra poked Shadow in the cheek, humor on her face as she lectured, "To which I had to force you to realize that they weren't hostile."

Something resembling embarrassment could be seen on Shadow's face as he said, "... Fair enough."

Looks of wonder and amazement, and as well incredulity could be seen all around as Reimu voiced their thoughts, "So you met through..."

Marisa finished, "Almost killing each other?"

Terra gave a dazzling grin as she claimed, "You know what they say, 'The best of friends are forged through combat."

Shadow interjected, "Only we say that though-"

A still burning frying pan sailed through the hair to make a very intimate acquaintance with Shadow's face as he said muffled, "That was quite unkind, madam Terra."

Terra pouted as she whined, "Well you're also being unkind Mister Insensitive!"

Himmel, Wagashi, Yuki, and Hatty all laugh before Terra lifts her frying pan menacingly while saying, "Shadow may not feel pain easily, but I'm sure you four will..."

Their laughter dies down instantly, and Shadow speaks, in detailing his own tale, "I first met Madam Terra in the United States of America, New York to be specific."

Terra continued for them, "We were on a train together, and when he saw that I had a magic amplification necklace, he signalled for us to talk privately with mind speech."

Shadow picked up, "Once we introduced ourselves, we became fast friends, and eventually our similar ideals on the world caused us to form a partnership as Incident Solvers, ranging from fighting crime to helping the public, in secret of course."

Terra continued, still cheerful as she said, "We managed to stay under the radar for a few years, defeating crime syndicates and shutting down illegal businesses, until one day..."

Both of their eyes fell as Shadow said with sorrow, "Gapdamn it, the government found us...

Yuki interjected as she said, "That's when I met them, I was one of the special PMC forces sent in to eliminate the dangerous duo that had the power to influence entire nations, maybe even the world. The UN sent us in, the Alpha Squadron of our PMC, alongside the entirety of the UN First Army... And we were obliterated.

Terra explained, "Yuki was the only one who managed to survive until the end, and then she asked to join us instead."

Shadow continued, "We agreed, and soon enough, we introduced them to Himmel and Wagashi whom we met beforehand in Japan, and our team was formed."

With a drunken slur and his breath reeking of sake, Hatty yelled, "Hey, what about me?"

Shadow laughed slightly, before saying, "Eheheh, that's right. Before I met Madam Terra and everybody else, I first met Hatty when I was traveling the world, eventually meeting him in China a few decades ago. I'd used his Hat business as a hideout while I was in Asia, and we became good friends."

A bottle was pointed at Shadow by Hatty as he yelled, "Don't think that flattery will get you anywhere with me old man! Considering what my shop went through..."

Shadow sighed as he said dejected, "You're still hung up about the assassination attempts..?"

Hatty's bottle slammed into the table as he yelled, "You're damn right I'm still bitter!"

Aya discreetly finished up writing in her notebook and taking as she closed her camera with a snap just as she put her notebook back into its holster. "Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions."

Terra bowed as she said, "Thanks for the interview, and feel free to use whatever you want in the newspaper."

Aya froze as she prepared to leave, stuttering, "H-how did you tell?"

Shadow answered, "I saw you writing it down in your notebook. Although those questions did come from your heart, which is a good thing."

Aya sighed in relief as she cheerfully called out as her wings extended, "Well, thanks again. Goodbye everyone!"

With a burst of wind gusting about the area, Aya flies off, returning to Youkai Mountain.

Reimu stood as she left her dishes in the piled cleanup area, "We may as well be taking our leave as well. Would you like some help cleaning up though?"

Yuki waved her hand as she picked up several plates and empty dishes, "We'll be fine, don't worry."

Marisa waved her hand as well, as she said gratefully, "Thanks for the food, ze!"

As the groups prepared to leave, whether for cleaning or to leave, Mokou spoke to Shadow, saying, "I'd be interested in fighting with you one day Shadow, how about it?"

Shadow held out his hand as he said, "That's a promise."

Mokou takes the hand and shakes it, as the two smile, both predatory and friendly.

Keine bowed once more as she said, "Thank you for the food. We'll be leaving then, so farewell!"

The four fly off as well, and everybody leaves the table to assist in the cleaning, everyone picking up plates and dusting away food scraps into the garden nearby as food for the plants.

As everybody finishes the cleanup, chatting amicably as they do so, they ponder what else to do afterwards.

Terra perks up with an idea and proclaims, "Ooh! Let's go Flower Viewing!"

With agreement all around, the five leave the house after setting up their security systems, going to enjoy a session of flower viewing...

* * *

Several hours passed, and the five figures stumbled back into their house, one still with plenty of energy.

Shadow, even with several bags filled with empty sake bottles and snack boxes walked in through the front door quickly, while saying "A refreshing sight indeed."

On Himmel's back rested Yuki, the former of which who said, "She's already asleep, and I'm exhausted."

Terra yawned and murmured, "So sleepy..."

Shadow deposits everyone's belongings onto the kitchen table and sorts them, while everyone else heads off to bed. Upon return to their rooms, they noticed that everything had already prepared beforehand by someone, as Shadow says from the kitchen, "I had some clones prepare the rooms, so have a good rest everybody."

As several of the others shuffled into bed, having changed into their nightwear, Shadow called out with mind speech, "Good night everybody, see you in the morning."

Terra responded with humor, "I still find it funny how you don't sleep."

Shadow smiles briefly, before going into the living room.

Shadow pondered his options for a moment, thinking aloud, "Hm... Perhaps I should visit Mors... But she's busy. Some games then."

With a few clicks, Shadow turns on his supercomputer, a highly advanced piece of machinery from the Outer World, and plays games various video games, including one about a young shopkeeper and her fairy companion into the long night...


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: It just hit me, but... I've been observing the night skies recently... And they're quite the sight to be beheld.

It was a quiet night at the Hakurei Shrine, all the bustling excitement of the earlier party having dissipated, many of the guests having fallen asleep at the shrine after the festivities, each one snoozing away in dreamland. The sounds of snoring and mumbles accompanied the crowd of youkai and humans currently sleeping, ranging from Oni to Tengu to Wolves to humans and so many others.

Except for one.

Reimu Hakurei, the owner of the shrine that had just so recently been trashed, had taken to resting on her toril, simply watching the night skies move past, just as they always had.

Today, she had created a Weather Barrier to keep the falling snow away from the shrine in lieu of none at all, manipulating certain variables within the Barrier field in order to ensure maximum comfort for the many people resting in varying states of slumber all over the shrine. Its range extended only to the toril, for she she felt none of the comfort the barrier provided, preferring the natural frost and freezing temperatures.

The snow had layered out beautifully, the full moon casting an ethereal blue glow upon its pristine white shade, almost as if the snow were glowing in luminescence.

"It's pleasant, huh?"

A voice emanated from her left following a light tap of shoes, as Reimu responded, "Yeah, tonight's a good night for moon gazing, Marisa."

The aforementioned Marisa took a seat with a sigh, proceeding to join Reimu in watching the moon and surrounding landscape, as the two sat quietly, basking in the moonlight's soft embrace.

The sounds of slumber were the only sounds in the night, the wind having died down completely with silence reigning supreme as Reimu and Marisa continued to observe the landscape, and all of its beauty.

Overhead, the night skies shifted and merged, morphing colors ever so slightly as blue faded to black, and as black rose to blue once more. The few stars, as well as the full moon that had begun to show themselves slowly shined, their luminescent glow casting light over the world.

The trees swayed as the winter wind whistled through, it's chilling breeze sweeping over the duo.

Marisa sneezed, as Reimu sighed, scooching close to share their body warmth.

Beyond the Shrine, the Human Village remained dark yet not desolate, as the faintest signs of life could be seen. A few lights on, the yells of a few drunkards, life continuing on, even into the quiet of the night. Towering above it in the distance, Youkai Mountain loomed, not ominous yet resolute in its own fashion.

As time passed, and the two Incident Solvers remained leaning against one another, Marisa asked, "Hey Reimu?"

Reimu gave a simple answer with, "Hm? What is it?"

Marisa shuffled a bit as she whispered, "How long do you think it's been since we last looked at the stars like this?"

Taking a moment to recall her memory, Reimu responded slowly, "I'd say about, what... when I first met you and Mima?"

A quiet laugh came from Marisa as she said, "Heh, you're right. As I watched the skies that night with you, I decided to try incorporating stars into my magic. Mima-Sama wasn't all too much of an expert on them, but she supported me all the way, training me in similar tactics that she knew to help me further grow. And the same goes to you, right?"

A sigh from Reimu was followed by, "That's right. As Mima calmed down and decided to settle down here in the Shrine, we trained together in various techniques, ranging from countering magic to proper Yin Yang control, even going so far as to assist in flying and spiritual manipulation."

Marisa sighed as well, before she said, "Yeah. She's taught us so much..."

A pair of hands clapped down on their shoulders as a voice from behind teased, "Of course I taught you two a bunch, you're practically my kids! Hah hah!"

From behind them, Mima had floated up and spoke cheerfully, remaining in the air between the two, resting her head on their shoulders.

The trio laughed quietly so as to not disrupt the others in the shrine still sleeping, as they grew quiet, continuing to observe the night sky.

As dark turned to black, the stars shined ever so brightly overhead, even when their shine began to fade in favor of the specks of color slowly, but steadily rising from the east.

As the trio untangled themselves from their stargazing, Reimu held her hand out for marisa, as they both took the other's hand, jumping off the toril in a bout of fun, landing on the ground with nary a sound nor injury, their athleticism and innate powers allowing for such feats.

As Mima floated down to ground level alongside the du, the three went inside, bringing out the various cleaning materials in preparation for the after party cleanup-

Only to see their maid, Ruukoto already done with the entirety of the interior and already working on the outside.

With a quick sip of oil, Ruukoto sighed in satisfaction before noticing the trio of dumbstruck women, quietly greeting, "Hello Mistresses!"

With a collective sigh the trio go out to assist Ruukoto with her already near done job, as Mima commented, "Oi, those are your sisters, and I'm your mom remember?"

Ruukoto's eyes widened as she responded, "Oh right! Well then, just leave it me sisters and mom! I'll have this place done in no time!"

And so, the four residents continued cleaning into the early morning hours, and as the sun rose up to greet their faces, they were interrupted by various residents beginning to awaken.

Leaving the last touches to the other three, Reimu walked back to the various areas in which the others had fallen asleep, one of which had Remilia moaning for a parasol.

Sighing with a smile, Reimu proceeded to awaken the various party comers, rousing them as they all got up to greet a new day.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Do I do my homework or write? Yeah, let's write. This was spawned from boredom.

Please enjoy.

A simple little underground room met her eyes, her wandering of the Outer World eventually leading her here. Cluttered but fairly clean, the makeshift living room was filled with various contraptions, ranging from a TV with its game console, to desks with computers sitting atop them, even chairs of varying sizes and proportions placed around the room in a haphazard fashion.

To the dark green eyes of Koishi, she remained hidden while observing the scene with curiosity.

To her right, she spied a young male teenager, his back straight as he typed away at his laptop, his glasses and black clothing signifying him as a nerd, as one might presume. A set of headphones sat over his ears below long black hair, left alone to show a messy style, charming yet also silly.

But to her surprise, a glance around the room gleaned even more shocking revelations.

To the boy's left was a girl, human seeming but in reality actually Nue Houjuu in disguise, her time spent in the household making the Nue accustomed to human life in a modern setting.

Another glance around revealed a pair of Magicians, their names being Marisa Kirisame and Alice Margatroid sitting nearby in a pair of chairs, looking at the computer the boy sat at with interest.

With a quick glance at Nue's computer, something about math that she didn't understand, Koishi instead moved onto the boy's computer, joining the pair of Magicians.

With a short nudge to their subconicinesses, Koishi alerted Nue and the pair of Magicians to her presence, not alerting them and instead only notifying them.

To that, Nue remained at the computer, sending a short spark of magic as a greeting to Koishi, not preferring to speak within the mind, while Marisa and Alice greeted her politely with mental speech, pulling up a chair for her to sit down upon.

Taking the seat graciously, the trio looked at the computer to read the boy's computer screen, the words of their conversation being typed out across the screen with a shocking accuracy.

Across the screen, the words, "_**Across the screen, the words,"**_ could be seen typed out, their eyes following the new lines of text appearing, synonymous with their thoughts with terrifying efficiency.

Within the four way mental speech link as connected by the four in the room, Alice said, "_Curious, no? Everything that we say, everything that we do, everything that we even think is being written down by this boy, as if he were writing history."_

In response, Marisa replied, "_Even if we try to go off in random directions with our train of thought, he still writes down what occurs without fail, as if he could see the future. Like, tigers like bikes and elephants. See? He still writes it down with perfect accuracy, and we've only been observing him for a few days. Speaking of, they've got some decent ingredients in the fridge, so that's cool. Even though Alice scolded me for it... Ehehe."_

A short glare from Alice directed towards Marisa had Koishi giggle.

A thought was transmitted from Nue who interjected with her own commentary, "_I've known this kid for about a year and a half, and in all that time, he's been able to predict me perfectly. Not in speech, no, but rather when he writes about us, about Gensokyo residents. Although, he is a good conversational partner, able to to accept my ideas of bloodlust and gore and randomness with little fuss and actual enjoyment of the topics. He's interesting, I'll give him that."_

With those thoughts, Koishi continued to ponder the words being written by the young boy, who remained oblivious to the supernatural beings around him, even though he believed in magic and fantasy wholeheartedly, as Koishi saw within his subconscious.

"_I wonder..." _

With the short thought from Koishi, she brought out the katana that she had picked up recently in her travels, angling the blade to sever the boy's head, even as the trio stood to protest her actions.

Disregarding their words, Koishi brought the blade across, the sword slicing the air on its path towards the boy's neck, as it to

* * *

A/N: If anyone was curious about the rest, here's the rest of what would have happened, if this part took place in third person.

ok off his head, the human part rolling to the ground quickly as the trio looked at the body with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance, Koishi herself muttering an apology.

Alice sighed a she gestured with a hand, saying, "Oh well. Clean up crew, you're on point. Triage the boy and bring him back to Gensokyo. I'd like to study his mind, see if I can learn why he was able to predict our thoughts."

Multiple dolls came out of hiding spots, cleaning up any traces of blood and moving the body into a storage unit created with magic, a gap belonging to Yukari opening up nearby to accept the body as the trio vacated the scene, Nue included who decided to return to Gensokyo.

The next day, reports of a missing boy and girl in a household came up on the local news, their bodies never seen again.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So, I've got finals in a few days, several projects to finish, and one may ask, what am I doing right now? Writing about Touhou because I can't study. Also because of procrastination. Please enjoy, even if it is very short.

"_Remember Reimu, even though our job is youkai extermination, our overall goal is to maintain order."_

With that lesson in her mind from long ago, 15 years later in the midst of a flower viewing event at the shrine with youkai all around her, Reimu could only sigh and say, "Well mom, making friends with youkai seems to work pretty well."

A call for her had Reimu rushing off to answer it, a smile on her lips and her heart light as a feather at the companionship that she had gained over the years.

* * *

A little girl was running through the woods.

A little girl tripped over some roots.

A little girl was crying yet joyed.

A little girl had run away from home.

A little girl wanted to learn magic.

A little girl found a house in those woods.

A little girl who's name was Marisa Kirirsame.

* * *

The growls of a dozen youkai emanated from the bushes around them, Reimu and Marisa having walked straight into their nest while exploring.

Faced with overwhelming numbers and experience of several centuries, the duo faced down the pack with determination, ready to fight for their lives.

Initiating the first strike, Reimu and Marisa joined together to unleash a flurry of magic as the pack jumped at them, before a pat on Reimu's shoulder alerted them to a newcomer.

Floating off the ground ever so slightly, was Reimu's mother, garbed in her Miko outfit, the Yin Yang Orb glowing with power as Marisa could only stammer,

".. Huh?"

* * *

The tea leaves steeped quickly, Reimu and Marisa sipping at the piping hot beverage with a sigh of content. The discovery of tea had the duo drinking it often, their enjoyment of the beverage similar to coffee.

In synchronization, the duo announced, "Delicious."

* * *

As the duo stood before a grave, inscribed only with the name of Hakurei, Reimu goes to caress the cold stone while saying, "I miss you, mom..."

With a tip of her trademark witch hat, Marisa payed her own respects to the woman that she had come to know as an aunt.

As the two remained that way for several minutes, both wiped their tears away while standing up as Reimu said, "We should get going. Mom would want us to solve Gensokyo's Incidents, not grieve for her death."

Marisa responded, "Yeah. Let's continue her job. We'll keep solving Incidents, and make her proud. Right?"

Marisa opened her arms, and Reimu moved into the offered hug while saying with a smile, "Right."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: It's Cirno day, and here's my own contribution! Please enjoy!

Picture link:  art/Cirno-Birthday-559225433?ga_submit_new=10%253A1441796337

I was born... I'm not even sure how long it's been. Years, decades, centuries, millennia, I'm much older than all of them.

I was born when this planet was born. I remember the boiling surface that was once earth, the impact of the rock that became the moon, and how I was born in that heat, as a tiny piece of ice that thrived.

Then life began to sprout. I observed the first animals walk the earth, and I got to see the first humans as well.

That was billions of years ago.

And now I reside in, where you may ask?

In Gensokyo.

* * *

"Cirno-Chan! Cirno-Chan!"

Cirno blearily opened her eyes, only to find the face of her close friend Daiyousei staring into her eyes.

With a yawn, Cirno mumbled, "Morning Dai-Chan..."

As Cirno got up from her bed, a self made wooden frame with a cotton bed purchased from the human village, she rose from bed, gradually moving her weary body as she mumbled, "What is it Dai?"

Daiyousei giggled and said with a wink, "It's a secret~ Now, let's get you up and moving!"

As Daiyousei lifted Cirno up by her arms, the latter blearily blinked her eyes, as she stumbled towards the pipe system in her house, connected to the Misty Lake to allow for fresh water.

Scrubbing her face and brushing her teeth, Cirno prepared herself for the day. Her customary blue primary dress went on as she laced her boots together, Daiyousei patiently waiting for her.

Her 10 winged ice crystals sprouted from her back, each as long and lethal as nature's finest weaponry. Within each crystal shone torrents of power, each of the crystals marking the end of an eon and its energy accumulated during that time.

The power contained within each crystal could create and destroy entire galaxies, yet none save Cirno knew of the power within them. Even so, as Daiyousei settled close behind Cirno, she couldn't help but feel comforted, Cirno's presence a soothing sensation, like a gentle giant.

As the duo left Cirno's abode, she asked, "So Dai, where are we going?"

Daiyousei only laughed again as she said, "I told you already, it's a secret!"

And so, the duo continued flying...

* * *

The Hakurei Shrine was quiet, its inhabitants having gone out for other matters. Though the shrine had just recently been sweeped, Reimu herself was nowhere to be seen.

Cirno and Daiyousei landed gently before the stairs to the toril, the latter extending a hand to the former.

With a smile on both of their faces, the duo ascended the stairs, just as normal humans might.

With a gentle push, Daiyousei said, "Go on."

As Cirno walked onwards through the toril, she was met by the eerie silence of the winter day.

Cirno glanced upwards and murmured, "Today's the 9th of September, huh?"

As she glanced towards the shrine once again, she couldn't help but notice something glimmering at the donation box.

Something just like-

"SURPRISE!"

A blinding light filled her eyes all of a sudden, as Cirno lost sight of the cloaking magic field, forcing a retina reset as her eyes cleared and she saw the shrine once more.

Crafted out of ice and various other elements, was a massive assortment of tables and chairs, as above the celebration resided a sign that said, "**Happy Birthday Cirno!"**

As Daiyousei's bright smile met Cirno's own, the former said in unison with the rest of the party guests, "Happy Birthday Cirno!"

Cirno smiled back, her own smile clear as the ice on a snowy day as she said, "Thanks everyone!"

Walking towards the party, Cirno let out a sigh of remembrance as she thought, "_How many years has it been since I last celebrated my birthday with so many others..?"_

Pushing the thoughts away, Cirno grinned as she celebrated with everyone, relishing in the surprise birthday that everyone had put together for her.

And so, the celebration of the Strongest Fairy lasted well into the night, as sake and food flowed freely and Cirno's happiness radiated for her birthday...


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: This is something that I thought up a while back. Please enjoy.

Bonus: It's the Autumn Equinox!

The biting chill was nothing new.

Nothing new to the duo of Sakuya and Meiling.

The first was a powerful martial arts youkai, honed by centuries of experience and training.

The second, a perfect and elegant maid of mortality.

As the wind blew fiercely, Sakuya held onto the warmth of her scarf, checking up on Meiling.

The gate guard was already asleep, and for a moment, Sakuya's hands flashed up to send a dozen knives towards her, each blade honed to the keenest of edges, until Meiling shivered, her Qi failing her in detecting the weather patterns, as she was still dressed in her Autumn clothes.

As she sent the blades back into her time space container, Sakuya instead pulled off her scarf, wrapping it around Meiling as she left with a small smile lingering on her lips.

* * *

A certain black and white hat lay next to a tray with cups of green tea still steaming, as Reimu sighed in trepidation at Marisa having already left, and without her hat to boot.

As she picked it up, she noticed a small tear in the ribbon and upper portion, sighing as she brought the hat and tray inside, withdrawing her sewing kit from a shelf as Reimu began repairing it.

The next day, the hat was sitting outside Marisa's house, as the ordinary magician came out and noticed her hat.

As she saw her beloved hat, she took note of the repaired state as the small holes had been sewn up expertly.

Wondering who could have done it, Marisa looked again, seeing the small amulet.

Realization dawned upon her with a smile, as Marisa set the hat upon her head, knowing that Reimu would always be with her, through the amulet.

* * *

"Letty! Letty! Please, wake up!"

Letty's eyes blurred into focus, as a face with hints of blue hovered over her.

As her eyes focused, she saw Cirno's worried expression as she whispered, "Are you okay Letty?"

Letty brought a hand up to poke Crino's cheek before giggling, "Thanks for trying to help me against the Shrine Maiden."

A fist pounded into her own chest as Cirno shouted cheerfully, "No problem Letty! I'll help you anytime!"

As Letty attempted to stand up, she winced in pain as Cirno ran forward, as she said worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Letty's eyes gleamed with a faint sign of pain, but she waved it off, muttering that she was fine.

Cirno watched her friend struggle to move, and steeled her determination.

Letty's legs nearly gave out as she fell forward, only to be caught by a pair of cold arms.

To her shock, Cirno had caught her, and was flying back towards the Misty lake, despite her own injuries.

Letty's soft smile showed as she thought, "_What a kind child."_

And so, they flew back towards the Misty lake to recover from their wounds...

* * *

The sight of Eientei's front entrance greeted Mokou and the family coming in late at night, their child having come down with a terrible sickness only an hour before. As the small clinic shop fusion in the Human Village only remained open during the daytime, anybody needing medical assistance would be required to go directly to Eientei, as Reisen, who ran that clinic shop, was able to treat most patients needing medical operations or wares.

As the moon shone overhead, Mokou called out after walking inside, "Oi, anybody home?"

Reisen stepped out from a doorway, as she said, "Hello Mokou. What brings you here?"

Pointing her thumb towards the family, Mokou replied, "Got a family here looking for treatment. I'll be off."

Inclining her head slightly, Reisen said, "Understood."

As Reisen directed the family towards the operating room where Eirin would diagnose and treat the illness, Mokou walked out through the gates, just as Kaguya walked by, returning from a visit to the Hakurei Shrine, a knowing smile on her face as she saw the family.

The same small smile was matched by Mokou, who grinned as she gave a hi five to Kaguya, who answered that with her own.

Mokou's steps faded into the distance as Kaguya only smiled and looked to the moon as she thought about Mokou's life, so different from when she was but a child.

* * *

The Great Hakurei Barrier stood resolute, enveloping all of Gensokyo within its field as Yukari watched its structure, searching for any distortions and anomalies. She patched these holes when needed, although her Shikigami, Ran was able to patch up most of the minute issues, and was also able to act as her representative in matters involving Gensokyo politics.

Even so, Yukari most often went out into Gensokyo to solve many issues herself, Ran doing so when Yukari was busy, contrary to the lazy personality that certain others in the Outer World believed she had.

The Barrier was a living, breathing being, but it was able to regenerate any of its wounds, albeit at a slow pace. Ran and Yukari were able to fix them much more quickly.

Seeing that nothing in the Barrier needed nothing at the moment, and after a pleasant conversation with it, Yukari turned her attention to the kitchen where Ran was preparing dinner.

With a smile, Yukari thought about how she hadn't prepared dinner in a long time ever since Ran began cooking for their family.

The sound of a knife cutting through several vegetables alerted Ran, as she saw Yukari helping her prepare dinner.

As the pair smiled, they prepared the dinner of curry and other dishes as the Chen came home, and they all dug into their meal...

* * *

As it was the Autumn Equinox, a celebration was held in honor of the Aki sisters.

Platters of every kind of fruit and vegetable lined the tables, as people from all over Gensokyo came to partake in the festivities.

Calling for attention, the two sisters announced once the crowd had settled, "In honor of the feast prepared here, we will continue to do our best in ensuring that the harvests continue faithfully throughout the years, and that your crops may be plentiful and healthy."

Cheers of admiration and thanks rose from the crowds, as the celebration lasted long into the night...


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: So I've got an end of the year research paper soon, and this story just sort of appeared in my head during class. Please enjoy. Also note that there is absolutely no relation of this chapter to any of the others in this story, as this is an isolated universe.

And now only a few minutes later, our teacher says that we may need to write a short story about our research topics at some point, so I guess this works? What a coincidence...

Even better, I can use this story for my project. I love my English teacher.

Also, I am aware that Mokou and Yuyuko wouldn't be alive for several of these situations, too far in the past as they were, so just assume that both of them are over 3000 years old.

Also, whenever someone refers to the textbook, it's about a book called _Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 years of Combat._

After a few months, I've finally come back to this story to edit it, add a few things, and publish it.

Please enjoy!

Characters List:

Keine: Professor, Historian, 196 years old.

Mokou: Witness, historian, detective who learned information from all sides for sake of history. Immortal, present at nearly all events since becoming immortal due to extreme speeds and comprehensive knowledge of the world, only unable to record some events if both important events occur simultaneously. However, some others have been able to assist her, thus sending history to her. Born three thousand years ago.

Yukari: Supplier, able to retrieve objects from the past and present in order to enhance VR simulations. Responsible for the creation and maintaining of the VR simulations. Thousands of years old.

Yuyuko: Netherworld Princess, responsible for coordinating dead spirits, and gets live accounts from the dead, interviewing those who have passed away to bring them directly into the classroom. Three thousand years old.

Reimu: Religious sides of most conflicts, having a thorough understanding of religions to enforce the thought processes of many conflicts and creators.

Sanae: Actual words from gods, and their own viewpoints and perspectives on the conflicts and such.

Marisa: Understanding of military power, specifically firepower.

Alice: Bombs and alchemical explosives/knowledge. High knowledge of armor and dress uses, being a professional clothes/armor maker.)

Patchouli: Tactical formation and strategies.

Three Fairies of Light, Sunny, Luna, Star: Comprehensive knowledge of stealth, detailing specialized, well thought, and intelligent stealth tactics, uses, so on so forth, such as ghillie suits, light refraction.

Nue: Knowledge and examples of Interrogation/torture techniques

Nitori: Mechanical and electrical engineering.

The quick scratching of chalk on a blackboard accompanied the frantic squeak and scribble of pencils and pens alike, each student struggling to keep up with the demonically fast nature of their professor. On the blackboard was the name of the class and a short introduction with it.

On it read,

**Military History and its Applications in Modern Warfare.**

**Class Credit: History, required credit.**

**Intro: Listen to the teacher, she explains it better than me.**

"Now you see class, usage of inappropriate military force throughout history has in fact caused far more issues than it has solved. However, justifiable and appropriate use of military force has been essential in resolving some of the worst issues in history."

The female professor hardly seemed to breathe, her voice sounding out constantly without fail or rest, as she continued her lecture on military force in historical contexts.

"Now you see, one may ask themself, 'Why does this matter?' Well, in this class we attempt to examine military history in order to recreate historical situations and possibly apply them to the modern day."

A voice came from the back of the room asking, "Professor Keine, what will we be studying over the course of the year?"

With a smile, Keine Kamishirasawa replied, "I'm glad you asked Mokou. Your prior experience and presence at many of these events will prove invaluable in our simulations, so please do your best in our simulations."

The aforementioned Fujiwara no Mokou proceeded to rub her head, embarrassed yet also joyed to hear such praise from her best friend, who was in fact their professor.

As Keine brought down a smart board she continued to speak, "Now, the topics that we will be covering today are the overviews of each era, where we will be attempting to discern certain techniques and strategies and such for application into the modern era of warfare, possibly even the future. Specifically, we'll be covering the eras of history from Ancient Greece to the Second World War."

As Keine began writing behind her onto the smartboard, her words had become jumbled and unreadable even with her immaculate handwriting, as one of the students known as Nitori Kawashiro, an engineering genius and prodigy, spoke up, "Erm, Keine Sensei? That smart board isn't working right..."

With a jolt of surprise, Keine glanced back for her eyes to meet the smart board's annoying calibration, before sighing in frustration and instead rolling it back up, as the class laughed at the ineffectiveness of Outer World products, as Keine shushed them before resorting to the gigantic blackboard instead.

With a clap, Keine called out, "Everybody, we're beginning now."

Without even a glance at her textbook, Keine proceeded to begin writing on the blackboard, activating her innate ability of flight that was common for most of the class in order to reach the top of the 50 X 50 meter dimensioned blackboard, its massive size able to accommodate copious amounts of information while an self propelling eraser removed the title and introduction, powered by magical technology, or magitech.

Keine spoke aloud after a brief respite to say, "First, we'll start with Ancient Greece."

Keine posed a question to the class saying, "First up, who can tell me what was the most defining trait of Sparta's culture, specifically their military life?"

Another of the students, known as Alice Margatroid, who was renowned as an excellent doll maker, and being proficient in the art of alchemical explosives and armor smithing spoke, "It would be their child soldier program?"

The professor continued writing as she answered, "Yes, that's correct Alice. Sparta trained many of their troops from the young age of 7, the courses and tribulations both physically and mentally exhausting, as well as extremely difficult to accomplish. While many nations in our modern day society abhor such actions, the concept of child soldiers and their military development into adulthood, has continued throughout history, proving time and time again to be extremely effective. In the case of Ancient Greece, Sparta had become one of the most powerful city states in the known world, sheerly for their military might."

Another student, Patchouli Knowledge who was proficient in Tactical Formations and Strategies through actual experience on battlefields throughout the world spoke up, "One of their most famous examples of their military dominance was during the Battle of Thermopylae, in which the heavily outnumbered Spartan-Athenian force was able to fend off and delay a Persian invasion for long enough in order to fully mobilize the Greek army."

Keine replied to the fact with, "Absolutely true Patchouli. One of their most interesting tactics utilized in the holding of the valley in which they were tasked with defending was known as the Phalanx Formation. Would anybody happen to know what this entailed?"

Alice answered saying, "It's a composition of several troops wielding high grade circular shields, placing them into overlapping layers with their spears or otherwise long poled weapons through the holes that cannot be covered."

Mokou gave her own comment, "The closest thing that you could compare the sight of that battle to would be a horde of black surging against a massive bronze porcupine of the few Spartans holding the valley. Though their efforts were valiant, they eventually fell when one of their own betrayed them. Worse still, I spoke to the one that would eventually turn before the incident, since the Spartans allowed me to interview them and watch. Immortality has served me well in these years of recording history."

Patchouli spoke up, turning with a surprised expression towards her, "Wait, how did you manage to survive? I doubt that the Persians would have allowed someone with the Spartans to survive."

Mokou let out a bark of laughter before replying, "Hah! Just a words and a showing of the Phoenix and they scurried on through with their tails between their legs. After all, the divine flames of a Phoenix being displayed in such a terrifying fashion is sure to strike fear into the hearts of any mortal humans."

Keine clapped her hands before saying sternly even with a smile on her lips, "Alright class, let's move on."

After drawing a box around the massive amount of information that she had written down, Keine proceeded onward with her next topic, "Now, we'll cover Rome for a bit. Who can tell me what was one of Caesar's most useful inventions? As a hint, it was part of yesterday's cleaning operation."

Several groans accompanied Keine's teasing, as the class remembered cleaning the massive 100ft high watchtowers that stood resolutely outside.

Ever the knowledgeable tactician, Patchouli spoke up, "The textbook refers to how, 'Ceasar set his legionaries to work building a line of fortifications to enclose both the town and camp, consisting of 23 forts, linked by ditches and a rampart mounted by a palisade, with towers at intervals of 80ft."

Keine replied, "That's right Patchouli, good job. Yes, Ceasar decided to build an example of a specific type of warfare back in Ancient Rome's time, but can anybody tell me what that was?"

Another student going by the name of Marisa Kirisame who was known to be an incredible source of knowledge on firepower related matters piped up, "Ooh! It's an example of Trench Warfare, one of the primary tactics applied in World War One, and a precursor to the later siege towers built in the Middle Ages!"

Keine responded in a sage-like voice, "Correct, and 5 points to Gryffin- wait what am I saying?"

Coughing lightly in an attempt to recompose herself, Keine replied in her usual voice, "Yes, that's correct Marisa. Not only did Ceasar utilize tactics that were later found in the first World War, but it's also possible that the shielded siege towers of the Middle Ages were also based off of the watchtowers developed at the time."

With a small smirk, Mokou spoke up and proposed her own question to the class, "During Ancient Rome's campaign in Anglesey, what occurred that should most oftenly be avoided?"

Another new voice spoke up, belonging to a woman known as Yuyuko, her title being Princess of the Netherworld who said in an exhausted tone, "The textbook talked about how with the bulk of the Roman legions away on campaign in Anglesey, in northwest Whales, the rebel army sacked the towns of Camulodonum, Londinium, and Verulamium. I also remember that from personal experience, since Rome was rampaging all over, their military might was killing a rather high number of humans. Not only that, but since not all were satisfied with Rome's new rule and thus rebelled, many human lives were lost in their efforts. We had a horrible time with managing the souls lost in those conflicts..."

And with that, Yuyuko fell asleep once more, her snores signifying a lack of sleep or extreme exhaustion having been applied recently. An embarrassed expression remained on Keine's face who sighed in exasperation at Yuyuko's disposition before continuing with, "Well, thanks to Yuyuko's anecdote, we know what occurred during that time. Can anybody think of an alternative to this situation though?"

Mokou gave her input with, "Well, it was also good of them to allow the rebellion to occur. In some ways, it has a dual function, both allowing the subjugated to release their frustrations against the new government, yet also showing the overwhelming might of their new rulers who would crush the rebel army under their heel."

Patchouli gave an interested expression towards Mokou while saying, "After class, would you like to discuss some of the tactics that you've seen in history with me in my library? I'm quite interested in your personal knowledge."

With a rub on the back of her neck, Mokou replied, "Eh, sure. I've got some time to kill."

Afterwards, Keine spoke up, separating the notes on the blackboard before moving on once more, "For our third topic, we're covering the Dynasty Ages of China, which I'm sure that some of you will be pleased to move on to."

To that, Marisa called out with an exclamation of joy, happy as she was to move onto one of her favorite historical periods.

"Yes! I love the Dynasty periods!"

A short laugh came from Alice who said, "As expected of our residential weapons nut."

Marisa gave a playful wink and exclaimed, "You know it!"

Keine clapped her hands and said while one of the self propelled erasers removed the previous information in order to make room for the new era, "Calm down, calm down. Now, what were some of the most important military advancements in the Dynasty Ages of China? Several of them relate closely to modern day as well."

Jumping up with unparalleled speed in her enthusiasm, Marisa yelled out, "I've got it! The inventions of crossbows and gunpowder in the 9th century! It was in our textbook!"

With a small laugh, Keine said, "Yes, it was in your textbook. In fact, I think I've got the perfect thing for this portion of our class."

With a press of a button on her desk, Keine spoke into the microphone situated nearby, to which she asked, "Lady Yukari, would you kindly send up an old chinese crossbow and several of their prototype firearms?"

A yawn was accompanied by the words, "Sure thing."

With that, several gaps around the room tore themselves into existence, the items transferred through seamlessly.

On several tables near the front of the classroom, rested several weapons, comprised of an ancient set of a crossbow, a grenade, and a flamethrower.

With sparkles in her eyes, Marisa stood in a jolt, dashing towards the weapons display before anybody could stop her before exclaiming as she analyzed the crossbow, checking over its sights and inner mechanisms, "Chinese Crossbows were in fact the first models of self propelled long ranged warfare, especially on the Infantry level, since the differences in longbows and crossbows were tremendous, such as the latter requiring years to master whereas crossbows can be learned within months. Its bolts, alongside various improvements in the gunpowder department as developed under the Sung, also allowed for even more effective ammunition such as burning arrows, or in this case, burning bolts."

As the rest of the class watched in fascination at the tirade coming from Marisa's mouth, she continued by moving onto the grenade.

Tossing it into air, testing its weight and such, Marisa continued, "Now the grenade. Although some models were developed earlier in the form of compressed balls with lethal insides, like japanese glass balls mixed with peppers, this is the first example of an actual explosive grenade, giving way to the more advanced designs as seen today in the M79 High Fragmentation Grenade. This thing is one of its precursors, and it's wonderful in its design."

Placing the grenade down with caution, Marisa finally picked up the final weapon, the flamethrower as she said, "Finally, we have the flamethrower, which was a wonderful creation at the time, this specific one being an explosive flame spewing cannon in essence, utilizing gunpowder as its base reactant whilst using fire to initiate the firing phase. Back then these were quite lethal, which led to China being regarded as one of the most powerful nations in the worl-"

An accidental release of magic caused the flamethrower to activate, the gunpowder inside igniting to allow for the flames to spout forward quickly, being put out by several fire suppression mechanisms.

In the epicenter of the explosion, Marisa stood there with slightly burnt hair, having managed to protect her body by means of a spark magic energy shield, her hand rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly as she muttered, "Ehehe... whoops."

Keine remained calm throughout the procedure, as had the rest of class, as she said, "Well, I guess you could say that you've been..."

With a flick of a pair of aviators placed over her eyes, she finished, "Fired."

The room was silent, its quiet piercing so greatly that even a pin could be heard.

A collective collapse of the class's students occurred simultaneously, many of them groaning in disappointment at the horrible pun made by their professor, even as grins lit many of their expressions in appreciation at the attempts of their professor to showcase a humorous side.

As the class calmed down and Marisa returned to her seat, a squad of fairy janitors came in, cleaning up the mess created within moments, their skill and efficiency incredible. Contrary to what many viewed fairies as, their intelligence could be quite high when needed, and for the tasks of cleaning, they performed their duties admirably.

Once they left, Keine spoke, "Well then, let's move onto the Medieval Ages."

As she began her routine of writing down more notes, Keine asked, "What were some of the most powerful inventions created during these times? Your hint this time is that one is long ranged, and one is protective."

Two voice overlapped in answer to the dual question, Marisa and Alice both shouting respectively, "Artillery like Trebuchets!" "Full body steel armor!"

As the two looked at each, they turned away, embarrassed at the synchronization that they had shown.

Keine spoke loudly, breaking the awkward situation with haste as she continued, "Yes, you're both right. Trebuchets and the improvements in armor were indeed some of their most important creations. Speaking of, Lady Yukari, would you be a dear and send the medieval set up as well?"

With that, a set of full steel knight armor rested on an armor rack only moments later. Upon sight of it, Alice rushed up and examined the armor set, adjusting areas in order to better analyze parts before giving her overview, "Medieval armor is not only extremely utilitarian, but also pleasing to the eye with its simplistic and smooth edges. I believe that the exact words from _Battle_ were, 'By the 15th century European Knights had opted for full steel plate armor, which, with its rigid surface, provided better protection than chain mail.' That's certainly true, as chainmail was originally designed to repel low power weapons by means of interlocking chains which while decently effective, could not compare to actual full plates of steel."

Through what appeared to be practiced and well honed motions, Alice proceeded to equip the entire set of medieval armor, several dolls assisting her in dressing herself as within a few minutes, Alice stood before the class, fully equipped in a set of classic knight armor.

Testing out its durability and composition with her hands and senses, Alice commented in a hollowed tone as caused by the full face helmet, "Well, this is a wonderful set, reminiscent of some of the armor sets that I keep back home. Its condition is wonderful, and the armor plating has a decent chance of standing up to 9x19mm Parabellum and even 5.56x45mm NATO rounds as a stretch. In comparison, 5.56mm is enough to pierce a human chest, whereas 9mm would stop inside. It may even be able to withstand some of our magic ammunition. Notice how its shape was forged to be reflective of bladed weapons where their edges would tend to bounce off or at least scrape along incorrectly. Of course, against heavy blunt trauma weapons such as maces and axes it has less of a protective effect, but still serves its purpose faithfully with powerful armor plating. Such armor sets, while unusable in today's world, could be applicable were we to base new armor designs off of them..."

Afterwards as Alice proceeded to strip the armor off, Marisa and Nitori spoke up, sharing their own knowledge on artillery. To the class's surprise, a small contraption of wood and rope sat before them, fully assembled and ready to fire.

Marisa began first as she gestured to various parts of the assembled Trebuchet, "Trebuchets are some of the precursors to modern artillery, its ammunition being shaped stone blocks. Back then, these were devastating in sieges of fortress cities and on the battlefield, the massive stone ammunition providing powerful support to Infantry and Cavalry forces on the front lines."

With a few motions, the Trebuchet launched a small stone towards the ceiling, its trajectory paused when a small magic sphere made by Marisa captured it within its field.

While bringing the sphere down to surface level, Marisa continued, "Most interestingly, its power on the battlefield was deemed to be a terror, but not altogether too accurate of one. More effective would be assassins and the like to cripple infrastructure, but Nitori can explain more about the Trebuchets."

With that, Nitori spoke up, sharing her own knowledge while revealing her modifications, "Back then, Trebuchets were also a fairly advanced piece of machinery, one that has also evolved. At first, rope was used in order to propel the stone throwing mechanisms, pressure being applied each time in order to launch the projectile, the tensile strength of the rope's potential energy providing the pressure itself. Later models included a counterweight system, which allowed for quicker firing rates and improved stability, as you can see from my modifications. However, as Mari explained, they were fairly inaccurate as compared to later artillery weapons such as Ballistas and today, JDAMs, also known as Joint Direct Attack Munitions, which are missile guidance weapon packages. This is caused through the inability of ropes and simple counterweights to actually create an extremely stable and long reaching shot. But even so, for it's time, it truly was a marvel of engineering."

Alice spoke up with a confused expression, "Wait, where did you get your materials?"

To that, Nitori patted her massive backpack which rested on the floor, its innards overflowing with mechanical equipment and materials.

Keine waved before she said, "Thank you for the explanations. With that said, we'll be moving onto our next era, the American Revolution and the War of 1812."

Having moved onto another section of the blackboard, Keine asked while writing down more notes at her demonically fast pace, "Who can tell me which general turned around the revolution and what significant event occurred in Washington for both events respectively?"

Patchouli spoke up, responding with, "General Washington's Assault on Christmas Day on a German encampment, and the burning of Washington state in the War of 1812 where the event occurred in 1814. Both pieces of information can be found through the online database of the United States Archives for the former and an author known as Lance Janda for the latter. For evidence, the specific quotes that they used were, '26 December 1776, the near-frozen Continentals surged into Trenton and caught the enemy by surprise.' and, 'After Napoleon's abdication in 1814 Great Britain dedicated more ships and men to the war effort, and succeeded in burning Washington and moving a large army to the Gulf Coast."

Without even a breath taken, Patchouli continued, much to the amazement of the class, "The first of which is a sound tactic, preying on the assumed peacefulness of the Christmas holidays and capitalizing on the carelessness of the German mercenary outfit. Most likely the carelessness was caused by deeply rooted traditions of the Christmas holidays and the overconfidence sprouting from the assumed weakness of the American troops. Though horribly immoral and to many a violation of peace, no actual laws state that it is illegal to assault enemy positions during holidays. Personally, I would always recommend utilizing such a tactic, but also suggest refraining from its use were one to wish to remain in good graces with most of the world. Remember, most of the world follows empathy, not apathy."

Though her face was beginning to turn slightly red from her continued speaking, Keine even attempting to calm her down, Patchouli continued unflinching, "The second is an example of HVTAA, High Value Target Area Assault, which has proven to be extremely effective in demoralization tactics. In this case, the White House itself was burned down, and although it did not cause America to surrender, the loss of such an important structure and area was a crushing blow to many. Other notable examples of such an example are the burning of castles in Middle Age eras, and the burning of the Summer Palace in the Opium Wars. A shame that such exquisite beauty was burned then..."

Several coughs came from Patchouli, her chronic asthma taking brief effect before being alleviated by magic restoratives.

Mokou spoke up with a comment of her own, "Reminds me of those times. General Washington and his troops were having a horrible time, but I did witness their battle. If only I could replicate the scene of their bravery on that assault mission... but that's beside the point. Even with the paintings that I created, I could never hope to replicate the raw emotion and strength that can only be found by living through the event. From what I remember from the War of 1812, most of the American citizens that I spoke to afterwards lamented the loss of the capital, but not too many were all that affected by it. At least, not so much by the capital as the war in general."

With a pat on Patchouli's shoulder, Mokou said nonchalantly, "By the way, while we're in the library later, want me to show you the paintings of the old Summer Palace that I have? I became a professional painter when I was young, and managed to create several works of art and writings on the old Summer Palace."

Patchouli's eyes widened in shock as she stuttered, "Y-yes! Absolutely, I'd love to see literary and visual works on the o-old Summer Palace!"

Mokou gave an easygoing grin as she leaned back and said, "Sure thing. I'll talk to you after class about it."

With a grin on her face, Keine called out with a mischievous tone, "You can flirt later Mokou~"

With a snap of the head and a blush spreading across her face rapidly, Mokou stuttered, "I-I'm not flirting! No, not at all Keine! I'm faithful for you, forever and ever!"

Marisa chuckled slightly before teasing, "Sure thing, love bird!"

With shock on her face, Mokou kept stuttering, her blush turning her face bright as a tomato, until she was relieved of the attention by Keine who announced, "Well then, with those wonderful explanations, let's move onto our final era, World War II."

With a quick glance to her watch, Keine said, "Well, we've still got plenty of time, so let's continue. What was one of the worst mistakes made by the Japanese during Pearl harbor, and what occurred during Operation BARBAROSSA, which was Germany's invasion of Russia, that ultimately caused their failure to suppress the Russians?"

Patchouli spoke up with, "According to Willmott, Hedley P., and Michael Barrett, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, they missed key wartime facilities such as machine shops, vehicle depots, the oil tank farms, and worst of all, the modern aircraft carriers were absent on that day as well. Instead, the primary targets sunk were an old, decrepit fleet and several docks, alongside several hundred casualties. One could link this to improper training or orders. As for Operation BARBAROSSA, Germany incorrectly assaulted the city of Stalingrad, and the whole of Russia in general. Though their invasion at first seemed fine, its roots was done horribly."

With a few manipulations of her glasses and a few short bursts of projection magic, Patchouli managed to get a map display up and working smoothly, her thoughts controlling the symbols and arrows popping up all over the map of the world that it currently displayed.

"For one, at the time, Britain hadn't been fully subdued, allowing for an allied nation to the US and various other nations not part of Europe to muster and mass upon in order to facilitate the invasion of Normandy, colloquially known as D-Day. Not only was the failure to subdue such a nation an improper move, but the invasion of Russia before the full suppression of west Europe practically declared Hitler's choice of a dual front, something that you never want. Worst of all, through his ambitions and confidence, but also perhaps through some hitherto unknown reason that we've been unable to discern, everything went horribly at Stalingrad. From attempted occupation of the city to the brutal CQC as forced by the Russians, Germany was outmatched and outclassed in such a lethal, unfamiliar environment of war. Speaking of, information on both can be found through the authors Willmott, Hedley P., and Michael Barrett which I personally dislike utilizing, and a documentary known as _Generals at War_ on the Military Channel which is broadcast on US channels, and best of all, my own library, which contains factual, theoretical, and other such related fields of knowledge."

As the map dissolved, Mokou also gave her own comments, "She's right. I interviewed several generals after Pearl Harbor, and they were all thankful for the Japanese missing so many vital targets and facilities. Rather, instead of crippling America, it only enraged them and forced them to enter the war.

The invasion of Russia on the other hand... well, I was at the epicenter of that one. I arrived at Stalingrad only a few weeks after initial contact, and the fighting there was horribly brutal. One of the issues that I've seen first hand and which the documentary Patches mentioned was that the Germans were unable to actually safely utilize aerial bombardment and armored vehicles to a great extent. Their tactics of Blitzkrieg and pincers and other such strategies couldn't be applied in such close quarters, and constant resupplies from the Volga River meant that the Russian forces would almost never run dry of necessities such as ammunition. In the narrow corridors that were Stalingrad's streets, Close Quarters Combat was forced by the Russians, a form of battle that the Germans were ineffective and inefficient in. But they were wonderfully adaptable, bringing about newer models of old classics such as flamethrowers and other powerful Infantry level weaponry. I was able to interview both sides, gathering information from both but never leaking it to either, as such acts would imbalance history. They never bothered me, since they eventually realized that I wasn't to be trifled with due to recognition of my second title, The Historical Detective of Ancient Times. Variations also exist, such as Detective History."

At the wave of a hand from Keine, Mokou sighed as she walked to the front of the class, and put her hand onto a nearby projector, Keine explaining, "Mokou will be showing her memories of Stalingrad."

The projector flickered, then focused in on a specific scene...

* * *

The white haired woman strode gently through the broken roads, full of rubble and bodies, blood flowing and drying simultaneously.

Tanks rolled on nearby, German armor suppressing Russian troops with frightening efficiency even as the latter pushed the former back with the ferocity of bears, men and women falling everywhere, machines burning quietly in destroyed heaps.

Gunfire rang out in front of her, two sides of small town center engaged in a firefight as she continued walking.

Bullets hit her, deflected by her power, falling to the ground in droves as the troops shouted at the new arrival.

Both sides trained their firearms on the woman, as one german yelled out, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

A russian from the opposing side agreed with the sentiment, shouting, "Leave this place! This is no place for non combatants-"

Wings of flame sprouted to life, cries of alarm and panic rising from both sides as they gazed, awestruck by the display.

Many fell to their knees at the sight, one of the russians whispering, "Detective History..."

Murmurs broke out amongst both sides, small conversations breaking out despite the battle that was supposed to be here.

"Detective History?"

"I thought she was a legend..."

"Last I read, she was in Germany, meeting with the Fuhrer."

"He let her speak to her? How did she get past the defenses?"

"She was invited when she requested an interview. Our leader recognized her, or so the others say."

"Where could she be headed now?"

"To Stalin?"

The woman held up a hand for silence, asking politely, "I would ask that you all lead me to the generals of this conflict. I believe them to be Vasily Chuikov and Friedrich Paulus?"

Both platoons nodded, and formed up around the woman, leading her towards the german commander first, communications ringing out to inform the armies to not attack the two platoons, under Directive Histoire, orders created for the presence of powerful historical figures, typically used for sightings and escorts of the woman currently floating through Stalingrad.

Fujiwara no Mokou, the The Historical Detective of Ancient Times.

* * *

Gunfire paused as the twin lines of Russian and German infantry and armor marched on, distrust and hate passing between the two platoons, even though they remained tolerant, no violence breaking out. That didn't stop subtle actions of hate and such, and Mokou noted them.

The sight of enemy forces for the German headquarters had them pausing in gunfire, cautious of the enemy's next move until they realized Mokou's presence.

Soon enough, the two platoons of Russian and German troops now acting as escorts remained outside under Mokou's orders. The two sides rested, the Russians fidgeting with the enemy commander so close.

The issue was the phoenix inside the German command post.

Were they to attempt to kill the commander, they wouldn't make it a few steps before being blown to smithereens. The inverse remained true of violence against the Russians as well, as the small German platoon, even reinforced by their headquarters would suffer the same fate for actions against the Russians at that moment. Neither mental nor physical attacks would be tolerated, as they were under constant surveillance by the detective at all times.

Inside, the interview began.

* * *

Hands were shaken as Mokou greeted, "General Paulus, a pleasure to meet you."

The pudgy general smiled, taking a seat just as Mokou did as well as he said, "Of course Detective History! It's an honor to meet such a renowned figure such as yourself."

Her notepad out, Mokou nodded as her questions began, ranging from personal views on the war to his favorite food and many others. Others included battle strategies and troop movements.

Sensing several lies, Mokou interrupted, "Even if you'd like to lie, I can also accept such words as truth, in a way. For to some, it is a truth, just as it is to myself. For the words were spoken, and thus they are fact. At the same time, I would prefer you to tell me the truth, for I aim to find the true history of everything, so that we may know everything. If you are worried about the repercussions of telling me the truth, worry not. Nowhere will people be displeased for the truth, for I am the one recording it. Classified documents and such, the truths behind horrid actions, these are only revealed when they will not compromise nations and such. That means after the war. Also, none of this will be twisted, as I only report facts."

Paulus' surprise was evident, until he sighed and continued, all truths spilling forth as he realized the significance of the situation, knowing that he could trust the Detective of History with everything.

After thanking him for his time, Mokou stepped out from the command post, motioning for the platoons to lead her to Chuikov, and after that, the two platoons would return to their respective armies, from which she would board the supply boats sailing back and forth across the Volga to make contact with Stalin himself...

* * *

As the memory faded away, Marisa teased, "So even though you're known as the Immortal Phoenix, you're also known as the History Hag of the Ages?"

A mark of frustration appeared on Mokou's forehead who said with a deathly smile, "Watch your tone young lady! I might be over 2000 years old, but I'm as springy as a youthful grasshopper you whipper snappers!"

Her eyes widened as Mokou realized the implications of her phrasing as she attempted to backtrack and panicked, "A-ah, I meant to say that I'm just as energetic as a uh, monkey! Yeah, a monkey! Ehehehe..."

A wide smile remained on Marisa's lips while a twinkle resided within her golden eyes, as the rest of the class attempted to not burst out into laughter at the hilarity of the exchange.

With a grin barely showing through, Keine said after their explanations, "Thank you both. Finally, we move onto the purpose of this course: How can we apply what we've learned to modern warfare?"

With the situation defused, Patchouli begun with her information first, "The tactics and regimes applied throughout several eras could be reused with modern equipment and technology. A government funded child soldier program could prove incredibly effective, but does also run the risk of moral backlash from the general populace and of other nations. Still, the thought remains of how effective they could be.

Allowing rebels to rise up only to crush them again may prove useful in its aftermath, releasing tension and once again showing the sheer might of their new governing rulers.

While invasion of other countries doesn't happen very often these days, nations such as the US or China could potentially utilize such tactics were they to expand at some point.

The tactic of holiday assaults could be easily adapted to today's standards, such as strikes sent against celebrating targets for maximum efficiency and effect. I'm thinking of strikes sent on terrorist targets during times such as Passover.

Burning or destroying a High Value Target Area can demoralize an entire nation. Think about of how hostile nations would take the loss of their capital, or something similar like a monument. It's a possibility that they would show little spirit for fighting afterwards. Unless it has an opposite effect and makes it a martyr, to which that's much worse.

The timing of the assault on Germany proved to be disastrous, and Japan's assault on Pearl Harbor likewise proved ineffective. For the last two, only more thinking could be used to fix it and apply it to the modern day, besides the more obvious overall concepts of better training and more clear orders. Perhaps even additional reconnaissance performed could have turned the tide in favor of the Japanese forces."

Marisa spoke up as well, "Several older concepts of weapons can be reapplied to the modern day, such as flamethrowers and crossbows. Only modernization of these weapons would be necessary, which wouldn't be too hard. In fact, I know that crossbows have modern day versions, but the concept still applies to several others like the flamethrowers. By remodeling and rechambering several of the older weapons in our past history, an example of these being how fire can be utilized in firearms of today. Imagine if we could apply flames to bullets or explosives, remodeling fragmentation grenades to include flames and oil, which could easily spread to a wider area of effect with just a single grenade."

Finally, Alice gave her comment, "Some of the armor styles, especially full scale medieval knight armor could be reinvented in the modern day with high tensile strength materials, the result being a sort of 'bullet proof' armor could be equipped, thus creating an immunity to conventional firearms. A juggernaut of human proportions, walking tanks of great mobility and power, still human at their core. Of course, weight and the actual utilization by humans is an issue... but there's a reverse side to this. Were we to apply magic, cybernetic technology, or even both to the armor itself, the possibility of a powered armor system, capable of being wielded by normal humans, not to mention more advanced and heavier models being used by youkai, just might be feasible..."

In addition, Nitori added onto to Alice's analysis, "That actually seems feasible. My projects in cybernetic technology have advanced fairly far, and with the advent of human cyborgs finally coming into reality, such a project might just prove fruitful in the future."

With a final scratch of chalk on the blackboard, Keine announced, "Well, that's it for this class.

Have you guys been taking notes? Because you've got a test next week!"

A collective groan emanated from the class, "Nooooo..."

A short laugh came from Keine, who waved off their disappointment with, "Don't worry, it's really easy. Easier than eating cake, and for once, the cake isn't a lie. It's a personalized test for each of you, tailored to a specific field of your interest and expertise."

With that in mind, the class perked up, everybody shouting at the same time, "We love you Professor!"

A blush appeared on Keine's face who said, "Alright, alright. Class dismissed!"


	12. Chapter 12

"Return, return."

"Come home, come home."

"To us, to us."

My form flitted through the trees, vision glancing back every so often to see them still chasing me, my body pushing itself to flee faster, faster, and faster.

While normal trees didn't often pose a threat, the trees within the Forest of Magic were known to be imbued with ambient magic of incredible power. Even spirits weren't completely safe from their influence, and as such I weaved and dodged through the forest just like when I was human.

Well, when I was alive.

Death and becoming a ghost tends to have a strange effect on the mind, but I found that I didn't mind being dead all that much. The corporeal form that I had taken on, while about the size of a cup, ignored material needs, included normal clothes so I didn't have to look that strange, and I was free to do as I pleased until I made it to the Sanzu River or a shinigami came along to collect me.

Well, except for the ghost hunting parties of youkai that hunted for delicious snacks like fresh phantoms. And whaddya know, I'm on their list of targets.

Well, I guess I've gotten used to running away. I was forced to run from most things when I was alive. And the forest isn't too hard to navigate, since I've been here a bunch of times. Well, not being chased, but to explore you know?

But if I can't find a safe haven soon, they're going to catch up to me, and then I'll be forced to go to the Sanzu as a mindless spirit...

Wait! A cottage! That's got to be one of the magicians of the forest! I'd learned that there were a pair of prominent magicians who lived in the Forest of Magic from my teacher, Ms. Kamishirasawa. There was the Ordinary Magician and the Puppeteer, but me and my class never learned about who they really were.

A bladed arm sliced right above my head that I ducked under, forcing me out of my thoughts. Anything would be better than the ravenous youkai now behind me.

I speed towards the cottage as the rasps and whispers of ghostly youkai resound behind me, my form pounding against the magically reinforced door as I cry out, "Help me! Please!"

Though no human voice answers me, a hole beside the door opens up and from it, a small doll, illuminated by the faint moonlight and garbed in a little blue dress says in what seems to be an automated voice, "Swear to commit no harm while in this house."

My eyes, if I had eyes widened in realization as I yelled, "I swear!"

The doll nods and takes my hand, leading me into the cottage through the door that had suddenly opened as the rasps and hisses behind me recede into the distance.

The oath that I had just taken was one devoted to property magic. Though not known to most other humans, all private residences have a faint barrier surrounding them, encompassing the entirety of the house from all directions. The strength of these barriers were determined by the emotions and the work put into the house. From my brief studies about magic I learned that old family homes with generations living in them often had very powerful barriers within them, simply by the time accumulated within them, not counting the level of devotion that had gone into the places. It was why low level youkai often kept away from such areas, through to mid level and higher ones, it only posed mild discomfort. It was also the source of the feeling of awe that most humans feel when they enter an old residence. As I had undertaken the oath, I was no longer able to perform harm within the household. If I were some kind of powerful youkai I could simply shrug it off, but for a fresh phantom, it was an overwhelming kind of power.

But not one that I had to worry about, as the discomfort faded and I no longer felt it. I take a deep breath, trying to at least even without my physical body, as I look around.

What looked to be a quaint little hall met my eyes (did I even still have eyes?) as I stepped forward cautiously, wary of anything that might jump out at me.

"Hello, and welcome to the household of the Margatroids. How may we help you?"

I yelped in fright and fell over as a candle was lit, the cheerful voice coming from a smiling doll holding the light source.

She looked concerned, her facial expression actually shifting as she said apologetically, "Oh no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Are you okay?"

I push myself back up onto my feet, shaking a little as I said, "Y-yes, I think I'm okay. Um, I hope I'm not intruding. Oh! And um, thank you so much for saving me."

A radiant smile lit her face as the doll responded cheerfully, "Oh, not at all! We have visitors all the time, and the occasional fleeing spirits, much like yourself. And you're welcome."

As curious as I was at the fact that this wasn't a new occurrence, I shuffled around a bit before asking, "So, um, what now?"

The doll motioned for me to follow, and I complied, noticing the massive lance and shield that she carried with ease, as she spoke, "Well, now that you're under the protection of the magic wards, the youkai won't bother you here. But if you should prove yourself to be rude to my mother..."

Her eyes flashed red for a moment as she continued, "Then we will have some very cross words indeed."

Her smile came back, as she said, "Well, for now, you can stay here for the night. Just don't bother the other dolls, and you'll be fine. Oh, and some of them are still young, so please don't take offense to their behavior. They're still children you see."

With that, the smiling doll gave a curtsey and called back as she left, "I've got other duties, so make yourself at home here in the living room!"

"Wait!"

The doll turned around, her head tilted as if to ask, 'What?'

"What's your name?"

There was a moment of silence as I took a second to look back at my actions? What if I just offended her? Was I being rude? Oh dear what have I-

The sound of bells echoed through the air, its tinkling melodious and breathtaking as I could only feel contentment at hearing such a sound.

Then I realized that it was her giggling, taken aback at her wonderful laughter as she winked and shot back, "I'm Shanghai! It was nice meeting you mister!"

Now that I was left alone, I turned my gaze to the rest of the room, only to witness a multitude of dolls, all of them of different colors and sizes and genders and make, all interacting in some way or another. Some of them were reading, others were eating, others were playing tag, others were practicing their performing acts, others were caring for little dolls... the list went on.

It was like watching a room of villagers on a rest day, their laughter, banter, arguments, jokes, everything seemed just like my previous life. Well, my alive time of life that is.

Yet there were some drastic differences.

While some of it was calm, there were dolls practicing drills and combat maneuvers, as well as magic training. There were miniature explosions from duels and sparring as well as the bubbling from various alchemical experiments that had been put out overnight by the magician, being watched over or continued by the attending dolls. It only served to remind me that the Puppeteer truly was a powerful person.

As I turned my gaze to the back of the room, I happened to spot a shelf of dolls, most of them simple in build and material as I floated over to take a closer look.

A sign near them, written in several different languages read, "**Host dolls. Please seek permission before using."**

I felt a tug at my shirt, remembering that magic imbued beings were still able to feel the metaphysical energy that were phantoms, as I looked down at a little child doll, her hands still tugging as she cheered, "Go inside a host doll mister phantom!"

"Carla! You mustn't just tug at a person's clothes like that."

A larger doll, about the same height as myself gently picked up the young doll before turning to me as she apologized profusely, "I'm so sorry mister, Carla here likes to see new phantoms try out the host dolls. She finds it fun to see them interact like this."

I scratched the back of my head, as I responded, "Erm, no it's okay, but... am I allowed to use a host doll? It looks kinda interesting."

"You may."

The three of us jumped at the voice, as the larger doll turned, only to bow while saying, "Oh, Lady Hourai, it's a pleasure to see you here."

The large and imposing doll dressed in an azure battle uniform nodded and said, "No need for formalities miss Sabato. And you."

Her eyes directed their gaze towards me as I gulped and meted out a nervous response, "M-meep-I mean yes milady?"

Her left eye narrowed in annoyance as she sighed and said, "You drop them as well. And as I was saying, you may take one of the host dolls. Simply agree to the temporary contract, and you'll be set. Now then, I must be off for training."

I had no doubt in my mind that she was of the same caliber as Shanghai, what with her lance and shield that seemed to be too large for her to handle, yet with which she handled with ease.

But with permission from one of the doll leaders, or so I found out from miss Sabato, I floated up to a random host doll, this one a male one wearing a butler's outfit, placing a hand on its head as a small scroll appeared and unfurled itself for me to peruse.

As I read through it carefully and signed with my signature to accept the contract, I felt a sudden rush of gravity pull me into the doll. Moments later, I opened my eyes, the eyes of the doll that is, to the outside world.

I staggered even from my sitting position, the sensations far too foreign to control properly as I tried to take a deep breath, pleased to see that I could breathe normally here. A small tag appeared above my head, before coalescing into a small green halo that remained floating.

As I adjusted slowly to the doll's functions, and in turn it adjusted to my own, I took a wobbly step forward, nearly leaping for joy...

Only to fall right off the shelf and onto the ground.

"Ow, my face..."

A pair of voice, filled with mirth began laughing, as I looked up to see the mother and daughter dolls giggling at my faceplant.

Grumbling to myself, I stood up and dusted myself off, asking, "Where to now?"

The little girl grabbed my hand, dragging me off to who knows where...

* * *

Morning seemed to come too quickly, as the rays of sunshine peeked out through the window curtains, my eyes adjusting automatically as the other little dolls cheered for the morning rays. I mean, I was never much of a morning person myself, but seeing the little kids so happy brought a smile to my face once more. Not that I hadn't already been smiling. We played a bunch of games, and I got to learn about the rest of dolls quite a bit.

Apparently, the host dolls had also played host to a number of other youkai and phantoms. Some of them were hostile, thinking that they could overpower the doll's defenses and thus tap into or consume the vast amounts of magical energy contained within, as well as gain access to their capabilities. Most of them were repelled easily or otherwise subdued. Yet others were benevolent spirits, some of them wandering the realms, others actually coming from the Netherworld for a visit. The household residents had welcomed the new phantoms and such on their visits, Youmu and sometimes even Yuyuko coming to visit with them. The last ones were the ones like him, the lost phantoms that were still trying to get used to the new world that they had found themselves within. Phantoms much like himself.

A yawn broke through ambience, a whole crowd of little dolls rushing towards one of the doors slightly ajar. I floated over, having learned how to fly a little, poking my head in to see what the fuss was about.

The cries of the little dolls and the chuckling of the others from within the room reached my ears before I made it there.

"Grandma! You're awake!"

"Play with us grandma! Pretty pretty please?"

"Good morning granny!"

"Let's start making breakfast!"

"Yay!"

Gorgeous locks of blonde hair framed a beautiful face, her twinkling baby blue eyes stunning to gaze into, her oh so effeminate and attractive body, the brightest of smiles displayed across her lips as she gazed all around at the excited crowd of dolls surrounding her...

She was beauty incarnate. At least to my eyes.

There was the fact that she was dressed in her white nightwear, which while not revealing, seemed to hug her curves and only bring out even more beauty from her luscious figure.

Oh, and the fact that she just saw me totally checking her out.

My face grew red, embarrassment filling me as I tried to make a response with my mouth agape, but I could only continue to admire her.

To my surprise, she only let out a giggle, smiling at me to come closer as my feet moved on their own, already taking off to land on her slightly outstretched hand. She deposited me onto her lap, which was ever so soft and comfortable, stroking my hair as she said sweetly, "It's nice to meet you little one. What's your name?"

Being in such close proximity to her already had me blushing to my ear tips as I stammered out, "Oh, I-I'm Rei-Rei Kayano, I'm 15 years old and attending the village school and looking for a girlfriend-"

A light laugh, much like Shanghai's from the previous night if only sweeter and even more beautiful sounded out, as the girl hugged me against her stomach squealing, "Oh, you're so cute Rei!"

The feeling of her gown and supple skin on my back was pure bliss for me, as I relaxed into her hug.

We remained that way for a few minutes, until she lifted me up, inspecting me, her analytical eyes befitting of a master artisan, as she instructed me to twirl around mid air.

Once she was satisfied after taking down a few notes, she stretched her arms skyward, giving a cute yawn as the girl got out of bed, going into the bathroom after gently shooing away most of the other dolls, myself included.

Upon entering the living room, I saw the dolls rushing about, getting ready for the day. A sudden urge to help strikes me, as I float over to the kitchen. I may not have been much of a chef, but I can at least make eggs for the person who took me in and saved me, indirect as it was. Well, it was actually pretty direct, since the dolls were all made by Alice- that's the Puppeteer, and the beauty that I just met- and she managed to let them grow into their own personalities.

After a few minutes of struggling and with some assistance from the culinary dolls, a simple plate of scrambled eggs sat before me, the other chefs forgoing the standard egg dish seeing as how I made one, preparing the rest of the meal. I joined them in setting the table.

Once prepared, Alice walked out of her room, taking a seat at the table as she glanced at the fairly messy scrambled eggs. Though the culinary dolls did sometimes make errors, they usually weren't this messy. Realization almost hit her instantly, as she smiled at me fidgeting in front of her, giving me a light pat on the head as I blushed again.

"Thank you for helping the dolls make breakfast, Rei. I appreciate it."

My hands began waving as I exclaimed, "No please, it was no trouble! I should be thanking you and the dolls! You really saved my life, my phantom life that is, but thank you!"

I bowed, as she poked me in the forehead, saying, "Lift your head."

I did, and was met by a wonderful smile spreading across her face. Her smile was just so infectious, and I couldn't help but laugh in joy at how blessed I was to have met such a wonderful person, and such amazing dolls.

She joined me, and the house was filled with laughter for a few moments. Soon after, while she consumed her breakfast, we conversed to the background of the dolls preparing for the day's activities.

Alice was a wonderful conversational partner, easily comprehending my words and absolutely accepting. She was kind, gentle, sweet, intelligent, witty, sharp, did I mention kind, wonderful-

Her concealed laughter told me that I had began converting my thoughts into actual speech, as my ears were tinged with red, Alice patting my head once more in an affectionate manner.

As her eyes went to her clock, she sighed as she said gently, "Well Rei, it was an absolute pleasure to meet you, but I'm afraid that I have to go soon. I've got a meeting with the mountain gods in a little while, and I can't keep them waiting."

In my exuberance, I said, "Oh, I'll go with-"

A knock at the door interrupted whatever I was about to say, as Alice rose to answer.

As she opened the door, I was met with the sight of a rather buxom woman, her crimson hair framing an easy going face and eyes that were filled with cheer as she called out, "Yo, Alice! How ya doing?"

Alice simply smiled back as she politely said, "Good morning to you too Komachi. Are you here to pick up Rei?"

My eyes snapped to the crimsonette, who laughed and said, "Yep! Got a few other spirits that I have to pick up as well. Where is he by the way?"

Alice turned around while saying, "Oh, he's right over-"

I slumped over in sadness, as Alice sighed and strode over, poking me in the forehead as she said, "Rei, listen to me."

I wiped away my tears, glancing up at her serious, yet kind expression.

As she stroked my hair, Alice said, "You can't stay here forever Rei. You died as a human, and the ferrywoman has to take you to the Sanzu river. I loved having you here for a bit, you were a nice young man that I'm sure would have gone far in life. But all good things have to come to an end. Right, Rei?"

I nodded, still glum at the outcome.

A little smile lit her lips, as she whispered, "Hey, c'mon Rei. Give me a smile. You look better with one."

As I shook my head to clear my thoughts, I turned up to look at her, and lifted my lips in a little smile. While not large, it was a sincere one, with all of my emotions behind them.

"See, you do look better with a smile Rei!"

We shared another laugh, as I floated up, before rushing forward, wrapping my arms around her stomach in a tight hug. I couldn't get my arms all around her to her back, but I think I got the message through as she hugged me back, a gentle embrace meeting my own.

After a moment, we separated, my hand coming up as I said, "Thank you for everything, Alice."

She smiled, shaking my tiny hand as she said in response, "You're welcome, Rei."

She picked me up, giving me a tiny kiss on my forehead as I jerked back in surprise, her pure laughter ringing out once more.

I had backed up towards Komachi, who caught me in her two hands, looking me over until she said, "Aw, you're a cutie."

I could feel my phantom body beginning to rise out through the host doll, as the body returned to its original shelf.

As I readjusted to my phantasmic self outside of the door, I turned to Alice, waving my hands as I shouted, "Thank you Alice! I'll never forget you!"

Alice gave a laugh as she shot back while waving, "Same here Rei! Be safe!"

I turned away, joining Komachi and the other phantoms with her, as we headed towards our final destination, the Sanzu River.


End file.
